Mercedes-Benz E-Class Owner's Manual page 49

airbags. The driver's kneebag is designed to
operate together with the front airbags in
frontal impacts if certain thresholds are
exceeded. The driver's kneebag operates
best in conjunction with correctly positioned
and fastened seat belts.
The driver's kneebag increases protection of
the driver against:
knee injuries
R
thigh injuries
R
lower leg injuries
R
i The driver's kneebag is only available in
certain countries.
Sidebags
G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated
into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic child seat recog-
nition may also be impaired. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif-
ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to
the function of the sensors being impaired.
The airbags might therefore not function
properly any more. Consequently, the airbags
cannot protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-
Occupant safety
Benz. The seat covers must have a special
tear seam for sidebags. Otherwise, the side-
bags cannot deploy correctly and therefore
cannot provide the intended protection in the
event of an accident.
Sidebags (example: Saloon)
Front sidebags : and rear sidebags ;
deploy next to the outer seat cushions.
When deployed, the sidebags offer additional
thorax protection for vehicle occupants on
the side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs. However, they do not protect the:
head
R
neck
R
arms
R
The sidebags are deployed:
on the side on which an impact occurs
R
at the start of an accident with a high rate
R
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
independently of the use of the seat belt
R
independently of the front airbags
R
independently of the belt tensioners
R
If the vehicle overturns, the sidebags are gen-
erally not deployed. Sidebags are deployed if
the system detects high vehicle deceleration
or acceleration in a lateral direction and
determines that sidebag deployment can
offer additional protection to that provided by
the seat belts.
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