Mercedes-Benz V-Class Operating Instructions Manual page 50

Occupant safety
48
front airbag deactivation system"
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( page 52)
Be sure to observe the instructions and safety
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notes on "Children in the vehicle"
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( page 59) in addition to the manufactur-
er's operating and installation instructions for
the child restraint system
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WARNING
Seat belts cannot protect as intended, if:
they are damaged, have been modified, are
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extremely dirty, bleached or dyed
the seat belt buckle is damaged or
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extremely dirty
modifications have been made to the belt
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tensioners, belt anchorages or inertia reels
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in
an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts can tear or fail, for
example in the event of an accident. Modified
seat belt tensioners may be deployed unin-
tentionally or not function as intended. There
is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Never modify seat belts, seat belt tensioners,
seat belt anchorages and inertia reels. Ensure
that seat belts are not damaged or worn and
are clean. After an accident, have the seat
belts checked immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
seat belts that have been approved specifically
for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Otherwise,
your vehicle's general operating permit could be
invalidated.
Correct use of the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
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( page 47).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the seat
belt correctly before beginning the journey. Also
make sure that all vehicle occupants are always
wearing the seat belt correctly while the vehicle
is in motion.
When fastening a seat belt, always make sure
that:
the seat belt buckle tongue is inserted only
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into the belt buckle belonging to that seat
the seat belt is pulled tight across the body
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Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
the seat belt is not twisted
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Only then can any forces that occur be dis-
tributed across the surface of the seat belt.
the shoulder section of the belt is routed
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across the centre of the shoulder
The shoulder section of the seat belt should
not touch your neck or be routed under your
arm or behind your back. If possible, adjust
the seat belt to the appropriate height.
the lap belt is taut and passes across the lap
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as low down as possible
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and never across your abdo-
men. This applies particularly to pregnant
women. If necessary, press the lap belt down
into your hip joints and pull tight with the
shoulder section of the belt.
the seat belt is not routed across sharp, poin-
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ted or fragile objects
If you have such items located on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or spectacles, store
these in a suitable place.
only one person is using a seat belt
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Infants and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the event
of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt.
objects are never secured with a seat belt if
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the seat belt is also being used by one of the
vehicle's occupants
Also ensure that no objects are placed
between a person and the seat. e.g. a cush-
ion.
Seat belts are intended only to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe the
"Loading guidelines" for securing objects, lug-
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gage or loads ( page 328).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
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( page 47) and the information on the correct
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use of the seat belt ( page 48).