Mercedes-Benz 2002 E -Class Wagon - Manual (Page 76)

73 Restraint systems
Technical
data
Instruments
and controls
Operation Driving
Instrument
cluster display
Practical hints Car care Index
Your vehicle was originally equipped with airbags
which are designed to activate in certain impacts
exceeding a preset threshold to reduce the potential
and severity of injury. It is important to your safety
and that of your passenger that you replace deployed
airbags and repair any malfunctioning airbags to
ensure the vehicle will continue to provide crash
protection for occupants.
Warning!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbags
inflate, it is very important for the driver and front
passenger to always be in a properly seated
position and to wear their seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a collision
always be in normal seated position with your back
against the backrest. Fasten your seat belt and
ensure that it is properly positioned on your body.
Since the airbag inflates with considerable speed
and force, a proper seating and hands on steering
wheel position will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the airbag. Occupants who are
unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:
• Sit properly belted in an upright position with
your back against the backrest.
• Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper operation of
vehicle controls. distance from the center of
the driver’s breastbone to the center of the
airbag cover on the steering wheel must be at
least ten inches (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combination of
adjustments to the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any problems, please see your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
• Do not lean with your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
• Keep hands on the outside of steering wheel
rim. Placing hands and arms inside the rim
can increase the risk and potential severity of
hand/arm injury when driver front airbag
inflates.
• Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard when
the seat is occupied.