Yal, Volkswagen did a similar type of thing with the seatbelt. And, come to think of it, didn't the 116's have the seatbelt/ignition interlock too? I still like the comedian Gallagher's idea...Give everybody rubber stick-em dart guns with "stupid" stickers on them. Everytimne you see someone drive or do something stupid they get a sticker from a fellow motorist (or mechanic), when an officer sees a car with about a dozen or so of these stickers, he gives him/her a ticket for being an @$$hole.
The timingbelt issue has me thinking...for the longest time I used to assume that most people knew what I know about vehicles (and I do not profess to know all that much), however as time goes on I find that more and more people do not have a clue. (I had a relative who once put engine oil in the radiator of his Audi 100). Perhaps putting an asterisk next to a recommended repair indicating $$$ repairs down the road, may help. Or maybe skull and crossbones for lawyers, not wait- that would have to be a cross and a rope of garlic.
I have heard many stories since moving to the US in '77 about people doing silly things, usually it involves the temp gauge, with the needle going to the red and the driver seeing this but thinking that a light, or a buzzer ought to come on too. Maybe carmakers will be forced to make cars with 2 or 3 different types of equipment. One set for enthusiasts, one for halfwits, and one for lawyers. D:
(Why did they stop using rats for lab experiments, and start using lawyers? The scientist felt sorry for the rats)
I am sure that there has got to be lawyer out there that is a mercedesshop member, this fact alone makes him/her a vehicularly responsible being.
(what do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start!)

-Larry (hoping that not all lawyers are bad, and that they won't come after him, after reading his jokes) (mental anguish or some crap like that)