We recommend that all infants and children be properly secured in an infant or child restraint system at all times while the vehicle is in motion.

The use of seat belts and infant and child restraint systems is required by law in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S.

territories and all Canadian provinces.

Infants and children must always be seated in an appropriate infant or child restraint system recommended for the size and weight of the child. The infant or child restraint system must be properly secured in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. All infant or child restraint systems must meet U.S.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 225 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.

An information label on the child restraint system indicates whether it meets these standards. This information is also provided in the installation instructions supplied with the child restraint system.

Always read and follow the manufacturer's instructions when using an infant or child restraint system or booster seat.

Observe all warning signs in the vehicle interior and on the infant or child restraint.

WARNING  
Accident statistics show that children secured in the rear seats are safer than children secured in the front-passenger seat.
For this reason, we strongly advise that you always secure children in the rear seats.
Regardless of the seat position, children under 12 years must be secured correctly in a suitable infant or child restraint system or booster seat suitable for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint system must be correctly secured using the vehicle's seat belt, the seat belt and Top Tether belt or the lower anchorages and the Top Tether belt in complete accordance with the child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Occupants, in particular children, must sit as upright as possible, fasten the seat belt correctly and use a suitable infant restraint system, child restraint system or booster seat suitable for the size and weight of the child.
Children can be seriously or even fatally injured by an air bag deploying. Observe the following important information if it is absolutely necessary to carry a child on the front-passenger seat:
• USA only: Your vehicle is equipped with air bag technology that is designed to deactivate the front-passenger front air bag, when the system on the frontpassenger seat detects the weight of a typical 12-month old child in a standard child restraint.
• USA only: For children that weigh more than a typical 12-month old child, the frontpassenger front air bag can be activated or deactivated. Always make sure that the indicator lamp is illuminated indicating that the frontpassenger front air bag is deactivated.
• Canada only: Children 12 years old and under may ride on the front seat if a BabySmart™ compatible child restraint system is installed on the front-passenger seat. Use only Mercedes-Benz approved BabySmart™ compatible child restraint systems. A BabySmart™ compatible child restraint system will deactivate the frontpassenger front air bag when installed correctly. The front-passenger front air bag will not be deactivated if the child restraint systems that are installed are not BabySmart™ compatible or if BabySmart™ compatible child restraint systems are not installed correctly. If the front-passenger front air bag is deployed in a collision, the child could be struck by the air bag. This could lead to serious or fatal injury.
• A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the front-passenger seat will be seriously injured or even killed if the front-passenger front air bag inflates in a collision which could occur under some circumstances, even with the air bag technology installed in your vehicle. The only way to completely rule out this risk is by making sure you never place a child in a rearward-facing child restraint system on the frontpassenger seat. For this reason, we strongly advise that you always carry children in a rearward-facing child restraint system on a rear seat.
• If you must install a rear-facing child restraint on the front-passenger seat because circumstances require you to do so, make sure the indicator lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front-passenger front air bag is deactivated. If the indicator lamp does not light up or goes out when the child restraint system is installed, check the anchorages of the restraint system. Check the indicator lamp regularly while driving to ensure that the indicator lamp is illuminated. If the indicator lamp lights up or remains out, you may only carry a child on the frontpassenger seat once the system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the front-passenger seat will be seriously injured or even killed if the front-passenger front air bag inflates.
• when securing a child in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat, you must:
- move the front-passenger seat as far back as possible
- use a child restraint system that is suitable for the age, size and weight of the child
- observe the manufacturer's installation instructions in order to install and secure the child restraint system correctly.
• For children larger than the typical 12- month-old child, the front-passenger front air bag can be activated or deactivated.

WARNING  
Infants and small children should never share a seat belt with another occupant. During an accident, they could be crushed between the occupant and seat belt.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is significantly increased if the child restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle and/ or the child is not properly secured in the child restraint.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must ride in seats using regular seat belts. Position the shoulder belt across the chest and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat may be necessary to achieve proper seat belt positioning for children over 41 lb (18 kg) until they reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat belt to prevent the child restraint from becoming a projectile in the event of an accident.

If an infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:

► Secure the infant or child with an appropriate infant or child restraint recommended for the child's age and weight.

► Make sure that the infant or child is properly secured at all times while the vehicle is in motion.

WARNING  
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, even if they are secured in a child restraint system, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised access to a vehicle could result in an accident and/or serious personal injury. The children could:
• injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
• be seriously or fatally injured through excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
• injure themselves or cause an accident with vehicle equipment that can be operated even if the SmartKey is removed from the ignition lock or removed from the vehicle, such as seat adjustment, steering wheel adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other persons or get out of the vehicle and injure themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to direct sunlight. The child restraint system's metal parts, for example, could become very hot, and the child could be burned on these parts.

WARNING  
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the passenger compartment or trunk unless they are firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
• strong braking maneuvers
• sudden changes of direction
• an accident

All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are equipped with a special seat belt retractor.

When activated, the special seat belt retractor ensures the seat belt will not slacken once the child restraint system has been secured.

Installing a child restraint system:

► Always comply with the manufacturer's installation instructions.
► Pull the seat belt smoothly from the inertia reel.
► Engage the seat belt tongue in the belt buckle.

Activating the special seat belt retractor:

► Pull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat belt retractor is enabled.
► Push down on the child restraint system to take up any slack.

Removing a child restraint system/deactivating the special seat belt retractor:

► Always comply with the manufacturer's installation instructions.
► Press the seat belt release button and guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is deactivated.

WARNING  
Never release the seat belt buckle while the vehicle is in motion, since the special seat belt retractor will be deactivated.