Seat Belts - Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2019 Operating Instructions Manual

30 Occupant safety

Seat belts

Protection provided by the seat belt
Always fasten your seat belt correctly before
starting a journey. A seat belt can only provide
the best level of protection if it is worn correctly.
& WARNING Risk of injury or death due to
incorrectly fastened seat belt
If the seat belt is not worn correctly, it cannot
perform its intended protective function.
In addition, an incorrectly fastened seat belt
can also cause injuries, for example, in the
event of an accident or when braking or
changing direction suddenly.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants
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have their seat belts fastened correctly
and are sitting properly.
Always observe the instructions about the correct
driver's seat position and adjusting the seat
( page 59).
→
In order for the correctly worn seat belt to pro‐
vide the intended level of protection, each vehicle
occupant must observe the following information:
The seat belt must not be twisted and must fit
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tightly and snugly across the body.
The seat belt must be routed across the cen‐
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ter of the shoulder and as low down across
the hips as possible.
The shoulder section of the seat belt should
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not touch your neck nor be routed under your
arm or behind your back.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
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coat.
Push the lap belt down as far as possible
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across your hips and pull tight with the shoul‐
der section of the belt. Never route the lap
belt across your abdomen.
Never route the seat belt across sharp, poin‐
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ted, abrasive or fragile objects.
Only one person should use each seat belt at
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any one time. Never allow babies and children
to travel sitting on the lap of another vehicle
occupant.
Never secure objects with a seat belt if the
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seat belt is also being used by one of the
vehicle's occupants. Always observe the
instructions for loading the vehicle when
securing objects, luggage or loads
( page 72).
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Also ensure that no objects, e.g. a cushion,
are ever placed between a person and the
seat.
The seat belts on the following seats are equip‐
ped with a special seat belt retractor:
Co-driver's seat
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Rear seats
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Activate or deactivate the special seatbelt retrac‐
tor ( page 35).
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If children are traveling in the vehicle, be sure to
observe the instructions and safety notes on
"Children in the vehicle" (
→
Reduced seat belt protection
& WARNING Risk of injury or death due to
incorrect seat position
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection if you have not moved the seat
backrest to an almost vertical position.
When braking or in the event of an accident,
you could slide underneath the seat belt and
sustain abdominal or neck injuries, for exam‐
ple.
Adjust the seat properly before begin‐
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ning your journey.
Always ensure that the seat backrest is
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in an almost vertical position and that
the shoulder section of your seat belt is
routed across the center of your shoul‐
der.
& WARNING Risk of injury or death when
additional restraint systems are not used
for persons with a smaller build
Persons under 5 ft (1.50 m) tall cannot wear
the seat belt correctly without a suitable addi‐
tional restraint system.
If the seat belt is not worn correctly, it cannot
perform its intended protective function. In
addition, an incorrectly fastened seat belt can
also cause injuries, for example, in the event
of an accident or when braking or changing
direction suddenly.
Always secure persons under 5 ft
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(1.50 m) tall in a suitable restraint sys‐
tem.
page 34).