Occupant Safety - Mercedes-Benz E-Class Owner's Manual

To ensure that the restraint systems can
deliver their full potential protection, make
sure that:
the seat and head restraint are adjusted
R
properly ( page 108).
Y
the seat belt has been fastened properly
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( page 49).
Y
the airbags can inflate unrestricted if
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deployed ( page 42).
Y
the steering wheel is adjusted properly
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( page 115).
Y
the restraint systems have not been modi-
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fied.
An airbag increases the protection of vehicle
occupants wearing a seat belt. However, air-
bags are only an additional restraint system
which complements, but does not replace,
the seat belt. All vehicle occupants must wear
their seat belt correctly at all times, even if
the vehicle is equipped with airbags. The air-
bags are not deployed in all types of acci-
dents. For example, if the protective capacity
of correctly fastened seat belts is not
increased by deploying the airbags, the air-
bags will not deploy.
Airbag deployment only provides increased
protection if the seat belt is worn correctly.
First, the seat belt helps to keep the vehicle
occupant in the best position in relation to the
airbag. Second, in a head-on collision, for
example, the seat belt prevents the vehicle
occupant from being propelled towards the
point of impact.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
Introduction
SRS consists of:
the 6 SRS warning lamp
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airbags
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the airbag control unit with crash sensors
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belt tensioners
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belt force limiters
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Occupant safety

SRS reduces the risk of occupants coming
into contact with the vehicle's interior in the
event of an accident. It can also reduce the
forces to which occupants are subjected dur-
ing an accident.
SRS warning lamp
G WARNING
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be triggered unintentionally or might not
be triggered in the event of an accident with
a high rate of vehicle deceleration.
A malfunction has occurred if:
the 6 SRS warning lamp does not light
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up when the ignition is switched on.
the engine is running and the 6 SRS
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warning lamp does not go out after a few
seconds.
the engine is running and the 6 SRS
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warning lamp lights up again.
In this case, have SRS checked immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop.
SRS functions are checked regularly when
you switch on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions
can be detected in good time.
The 6 SRS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started.
Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags
During the first stage of a collision, the airbag
control unit evaluates important physical
data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
duration
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direction
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magnitude
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Based on the evaluation of this data, the air-
bag control unit pre-emptively triggers the
belt tensioners in the first stage.
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