If you do not wear the seat belt correctly or if you do not engage it in its buckle correctly, the seat belt cannot perform its intended protective function. This could result in serious or even fatal injury. For this reason, make sure that all occupants in particular, pregnant women always wear their seat belts correctly for every trip.

Make sure that the belt:

• crosses over your pelvis as low down as possible, i.e. over your hip joints and not across your stomach

• is close-fitting

• is not twisted

• crosses over the middle of your shoulder

• is not routed across your neck or under your arm

• is pulled tight over your hip joints by pulling the shoulder section of the belt upwards

Do not secure an object with a seat belt if the seat belt is also being used by one of the vehicle’s occupants.

Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter coat.

Do not route the seat belt strap over sharp or fragile objects, especially if these are on or in your clothing, e.g. spectacles, pens or keys. The seat belt strap could tear, which could result in injury to yourself or other vehicle occupants.

Only one person should use each seat belt at any one time.

On no account should children travel sitting on the lap of another occupant. It would not be possible to restrain the child in the event of an accident, braking or a sudden change in direction. This could result in serious injuries to the child and other vehicle occupants in the event of abrupt braking or even fatal injuries in the event of an accident.

Persons less than 1.50 m tall and children under twelve years of age cannot wear their seat belt properly. For this reason, secure these occupants in special suitable restraint systems installed on a suitable seat. Always observe the installation instructions of the child restraint system manufacturer.

The seat belt can only provide the degree of protection intended if the backrest is in an almost vertical position and the occupant is sitting upright. Avoid seat positions which do not allow a seat belt to be routed correctly. For this reason, position the backrest as close to the vertical as possible. Never drive with the backrest tilted back too far.

As opposed to the lap belt, the lap-shoulder belt provides better restraint and therefore more protection against injuries.

The seat belt cannot perform its protective function correctly if the seat belt strap or buckle is dirty or damaged. For this reason, keep the seat belt strap and buckle clean; otherwise the belt tongue cannot engage correctly.

Carry out regular checks to make sure that the seat belts:

• are not damaged

• are not routed over sharp edges

• are not trapped

The seat belt strap could otherwise tear in an accident, which could result in serious or fatal injury to yourself or other vehicle occupants.

Have seat belts which have been damaged or subjected to a heavy load in an accident replaced and the seat belt anchorages checked.

For safety reasons, Mercedes‑Benz recommends that you only use seat belts specifically approved for this Mercedes‑Benz vehicle.

If the lap belt is not used, make sure that the belt tongue is always engaged in the seat belt buckle. The belt could otherwise be thrown about and injure vehicle occupants in the event of accidents and while the vehicle is in motion.

Do not leave children unsupervised in the vehicle even if they are secured in a child restraint system. They could:

• injure themselves on parts of the vehicle

• open the doors and thereby injure themselves and others. Or they could get out of the vehicle, injuring themselves in doing so or they could be injured by a passing vehicle

• be seriously or fatally harmed by prolonged exposure to heat

• sustain serious injuries if they were to fall out of the cab, due to its height from the ground

To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries to children in the event of an accident, braking or a sudden change in direction, please observe the following:

• Always secure children less than 1.50 m tall or under twelve years of age in a special child restraint system on the co-driver’s seat, since they cannot wear the seat belts correctly.

• Do not secure children less than twelve years of age on the co-driver’s seat, unless the child is secured in a child restraint system installed on this seat.

• Do not allow a child to travel sitting on the lap of a vehicle occupant. It would not be possible to restrain a child as a result of the forces acting in the event of an accident, braking or sudden changes in direction. The child would be thrown against the vehicle interior and would be seriously or fatally injured.

• All vehicle occupants must wear their seat belt correctly at all times.

If you are using a forward-facing child seat on the co-driver’s seat, the co-driver’s seat must be moved to its rearmost position.

A child seat that has been fitted incorrectly could come loose in the event of an accident, braking or a sudden change in direction and the child and other vehicle occupants could be seriously or fatally injured.

For this reason, do not place objects (e.g. a cushion) underneath the child restraint system. The entire base of the child restraint system must be in contact with the seat cushion at all times.

Observe the installation instructions issued by the child restraint system manufacturer when fitting the child restraint system.

If the child restraint system or its securing system has already been damaged or subjected to a load in an accident, a child subsequently secured in it could be seriously or fatally injured in the event of an accident, braking or a sudden change in direction.

Have restraint systems and their securing systems which have been damaged or subjected to a load in an accident checked and, if necessary, replaced immediately at a qualified specialist workshop which has the necessary specialist knowledge and tools for the work required.

Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose. All work relevant to safety or on safety-related systems must be carried out at a qualified specialist workshop.