Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2013 Owner's Manual page 232

Important safety notes
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WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
people or animals
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stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
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ped or parked vehicles
oncoming and crossing traffic
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As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
give an unnecessary warning and then
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brake the vehicle
neither give a warning nor intervene
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accelerate unexpectedly
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There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this deceleration is not sufficient, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS alerts you with a visual and
acoustic warning. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
when towing the vehicle
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in the car wash
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If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and
weather conditions or traffic conditions into
account. DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You
are responsible for the distance to the vehicle
in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
in road and traffic conditions which do not
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allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads)
on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
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accelerating can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid:
when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
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heavy rain or snow.
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
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ing the sensors
snow or heavy rain
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interference by other radar sources
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the possibility of strong radar reflections,
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for example, in multi-storey car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to
the speed stored.
Driving systems
229
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