Seat Belts - Mercedes-Benz GLS Operator's Manual

38 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 can‐
not 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 occu‐
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pants have their seat belts fastened
correctly and are sitting properly.
Always observe the instructions about the cor‐
rect driver's seat position and adjusting the seat
( page 101).
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In order for the correctly worn seat belt to pro‐
vide the intended level of protection, each vehi‐
cle occupant must observe the following infor‐
mation:
The seat belt must not be twisted and must
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fit 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.
Pregnant women must also take particular
care with this.
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 chil‐
dren 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 127).
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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 seatbelt retractor:
Front passenger seat
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Rear seats
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Activate or deactivate the special seatbelt
retractor ( page 58).
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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" ( page 52).
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