Sidebags and windowbags protect the occupants in a side-on collision
The restraint system in the new E-Class features two more highly-effective systems in the form of standard sidebags for the driver and front passenger and windowbags. These two systems complement one another; whereas the sidebags protect mainly the thorax area of the vehicle's occupants, the windowbags inflate like a large curtain, stretching from the front to the rear roof pillar, to form an expansive head protection.

One of the vehicle's innovations is the activation of both the windowbags and belt tensioners should the vehicle roll over. The new E-Class is the only saloon in the world to be equipped with a rollover sensor which is capable of reliably detecting this type of accident and then relaying the data to the restraint system's central control module in an instant. The sensor is positioned on the transmission tunnel. Within its casing lies a metal rod which responds to electrical stimuli and vibrates in a similar fashion to a tuning fork. The Coriolis force (force of inertia in a rotating system) which acts when the vehicle rolls over alters the frequency of the "tuning fork"; electrical measurements conducted by the micro-computer sense this change and the micro-computer instantaneously activates the protective systems.

The front sidebags in the new E-Class are now housed in the seat backrests, while the rear sidebags (optional extra) continue to be located in the door trim. In the event of a collision from the side, the sidebags inflate within a few split seconds to cover the area between the occupant and the door up to chest height. The sidebags all have an inflated volume of ten litres. The standard-specification windowbags meanwhile are positioned behind the trim panels for the roof frame and the A and C-pillars. The air cushions on either side inflate within just 25 milliseconds and remain fully inflated for a number of seconds following the collision. The volume of both airbags when inflated is twelve litres.