2009 Mercedes SL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 56

Safety and security Occupant safety G Warning! Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are seat belts available. Make sure everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly restrained with a separate seat belt. Never use a seat belt for more than one person at a time. G Warning! Keep the door storage compartments closed while vehicle is in motion. Failure to do so may cause the seat belt to catch at the rear and prevent proper positioning of the seat belt. G Warning! Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were highly stressed in an accident must be replaced and their anchoring points must also be checked. Only use seat belts which have been approved by Mercedes-Benz. Do not make any modifications to the seat belts. This can lead to unintended activation of the ETDs or to their failure to activate when necessary. Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may severely weaken them. In a crash they may not be able to provide adequate protection. Have all work carried out only by qualified technicians. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. erly belted occupants in certain frontal (front air bags, driver side knee bag and ETD) and side (head-thorax air bags and ETD) impacts which exceed preset deployment thresholds. RNever Proper use of seat belts G Warning! USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY RSeat belts can only work when used properly. Never wear seat belts in any other way than as described in this section, as that could result in serious injuries in case of an accident. REach occupant should wear their seat belt at all times, because seat belts help reduce the likelihood of and potential severity of injuries in accidents, including rollovers. The integrated restraint system includes SRS (driver front air bag, driver side knee bag, passenger front air bag, head-thorax air bags), Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD) and seat belt force limiters. The system is designed to enhance the protection offered to prop- wear the shoulder belt under your arm, against your neck or off your shoulder. In a frontal crash, your body would move too far forward. That would increase the chance of head and neck injuries. The seat belt would also apply too much force to the ribs or abdomen, which could severely injure internal organs such as your liver or spleen. Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder section is located as close as possible to the middle of the shoulder (it should not touch the neck). Never pass the shoulder portion of the seat belt under your arm. the lap belt as low as possible on your hips and not across the abdomen. If the lap belt is positioned across your abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in a crash. able objects in or on your clothing, such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as these might cause injuries. RPosition RNever wear seat belts over rigid or break- 54