Mercedes-Benz has announced a significant milestone, with over 10 million of its passenger cars globally equipped with the Active Brake Assist pedestrian emergency braking system since 2012. This technology aims to enhance road safety, particularly for vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. The system provides visual and acoustic warnings of potential collisions, assists in braking, and initiates emergency braking if necessary. The press release highlights the positive impact of such systems, citing a 27 percent lower rate of pedestrian accidents in vehicles equipped with pedestrian emergency braking.

Active contribution to greater road safety: Mercedes-Benz has equipped more than 10 million vehicles with Active Brake Assist with pedestrian detection.

The release outlines the evolution of Mercedes-Benz safety systems, starting with the introduction of the Brake Assist System (BAS) in 1996, and the integration of radar technology in 2005. Over the years, the company has continuously improved its safety features, with the pedestrian detection feature added in 2013, and the pedestrian emergency braking system becoming standard in new models since 2021. The company’s commitment to “Real-Life Safety” involves analyzing real traffic accidents to inform the development of future assistance systems.

The press release emphasizes Mercedes-Benz’s “Vision Zero” goal, aiming to eliminate accidents involving their vehicles by 2050. It also mentions the company’s dedication to innovation, leveraging advanced sensors and artificial intelligence in future assistance systems. The release concludes by providing statistics on pedestrian fatalities and the positive impact of pedestrian emergency braking systems, citing studies from the European Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Active contribution to greater road safety: Mercedes-Benz has equipped more than 10 million vehicles with Active Brake Assist with pedestrian detection.

Press Release
Stuttgart, November 14, 2023

With more than 40 active assistance systems currently available, Mercedes-Benz is making a decisive contribution to increasing the safety of all road users. In particular, Active Brake Assist with pedestrian detection has been helping reduce accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists for many years. This applies to typical driving speeds both in and out of town.

The system can give visual and acoustic warnings of an impending collision in front of the vehicle, either from intersecting or oncoming vehicles. If the driver brakes too lightly, the system can provide assistance and increase the braking force to suit the situation. If the driver fails to react at all, Active Brake Assist initiates emergency braking. In the current generation of vehicles, Active Brake Assist uses camera and/or radar-based sensor technology to detect pedestrians and cyclists in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel. If an imminent risk of collision with these so-called vulnerable road users is detected, the required braking force is calculated in order to avoid a possible collision or to minimize its severity.

Now, Mercedes-Benz has achieved another active safety milestone: Since 2012, more than 10 million of all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars sold worldwide have been equipped with the pedestrian emergency braking system. Pedestrians are considered unprotected road users as they are not equipped with airbags, seat belts or protective clothing. Their particular risk is also reflected in accident statistics: according to an analysis by the European Commission, pedestrians made up almost one-fifth of all road fatalities in the European Union in 2020.[1] In the USA, their share of the total number of traffic fatalities in 2021 was 17 percent according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.[2] Meanwhile, a 2022 study by the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concluded that vehicles equipped with a pedestrian emergency braking system have a 27 percent lower rate of accidents involving pedestrians than vehicles without such technology.[3]
Warning and support in the event of acute accident risk

Mercedes-Benz introduced the first Brake Assist System (BAS) back in 1996. In 2005, radar technology was used to enhance the brake assist system by making it anticipatory. Just one year later, experts combined the further developed DISTRONIC PLUS distance control system and BAS PLUS Brake Assist to create PRE-SAFE® Brake with autonomous partial braking. The important pedestrian detection feature was added in 2013, and first introduced in the E-Class (W212). In 2016, the pedestrian emergency braking system was then installed as standard equipment for the first time as part of the launch of the new E-Class (W213). Since 2021, Active Brake Assist has been standard equipment on all new Mercedes-Benz car models. This means high internal safety demands exceeded legal requirements: so-called city emergency brake assist systems for low-speed driving have only been mandatory for all types of newly approved passenger cars in the EU since July 2022. From 2024, these will be mandatory for every newly registered car.

Future assistance systems will be even more powerful thanks to increasingly advanced sensors and help from artificial intelligence. It is already apparent today that active assistance systems make an important contribution to protecting pedestrians and cyclists in particular – so-called vulnerable road users.

Innovation through analysis of real traffic accidents – the real-life safety philosophy
“Real-Life Safety” is the safety philosophy of the Mercedes-Benz Group. The company has been conducting systematic accident research for more than 50 years: its aim is to build vehicles that are not only convincing in defined crash-test scenarios, but also in real-life road accidents. In addition to protecting vehicle occupants, the focus is also on the safety of all road users outside the vehicle. The goal is clear: Vision Zero. This means that there should be no more accidents involving Mercedes-Benz vehicles by 2050.

[1] European Commission (2021) “Facts and Figures Pedestrians”. European Road Safety Observatory. Brussels, European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport
[2] National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (Juni 2023). “Traffic Safety Facts” (Report No. DOT HS 813 458). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
[3] Insurance Institute for Highway Safety „Effects of automatic emergency braking systems on pedestrian crash risk“ (May 2022). Cicchino, Jessica B. Accident Analysis & Prevention (AAP)

Mercedes-Benz has expanded its highly automated parking function, INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT (SAE Level 4), to include the new E-Class Saloon and Estate, EQE SUV, and EQS SUV, following its availability in the S-Class, EQS, and EQE Saloons. This innovative feature enables Automated Valet Parking, allowing users to drive into a parking area, exit the vehicle, and remotely instruct it to navigate to a pre-booked parking space via a smartphone. This eliminates the need for customers to search for parking spaces, saving time and enhancing the parking experience, especially in tight parking garages.

Highly automated and driverless parking: Now available for E-Class, EQE SUV and EQS SUV by Mercedes-Benz.
EQE 500 4MATIC | WLTP: combined electrical consumption: 19.5-16.8 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km* / EQE 500 4MATIC SUV | WLTP: combined electrical consumption: 21.9‒18.4 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km.* / EQS 450+ | WLTP: combined electrical consumption: 19.7‒16.4 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km.* / EQS 450+ SUV | WLTP: combined electrical consumption: 22.5‒18.8 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km.*

In November 2022, Mercedes-Benz and Bosch received approval for commercial use of their highly automated parking function in Germany. The APCOA parking garage P6 at Stuttgart Airport became the world’s first facility to offer Automated Valet Parking to Mercedes-Benz customers. The narrow parking spaces and proximity to the airport terminal make it an ideal use case for driverless parking.

The press release also provides details about the availability of the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT service in Germany for specific Mercedes-Benz models, with activation through the Mercedes me app. It outlines the requirements for users to access Mercedes me connect services and the option to extend the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT service after the initial period.

Additionally, the release mentions the SAE Level 4 classification, defining the high driving automation capability of the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT, particularly in parking garage scenarios, according to the SAE J3016 standard.

Press Release
Stuttgart, November 14, 2023

Following the S-Class, EQS and the EQE Saloons, the highly automated parking function INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT (SAE Level 4²) is now also available for the new E-Class Saloon and Estate, the EQE SUV and the EQS SUV¹. Driving into a car park, exiting the vehicle, and sending it to a pre-booked parking space via smartphone: with this so-called Automated Valet Parking, searching for a parking space and parking are no longer necessary. This not only saves customers valuable time but also makes their parking experience more comfortable, especially in narrow parking garages.

In November 2022, Mercedes-Benz and Bosch received the world’s first approval for commercial use of their highly automated and driverless parking function in Germany. The APCOA parking garage P6 at Stuttgart Airport is the first parking garage worldwide offering Automated Valet Parking to Mercedes-Benz customers.

With its narrow parking spaces, it is an ideal use case for driverless parking. In addition, the location directly next to the terminal building of the airport offers customers a particularly short distance to the gate.

^[1] The Mercedes me connect service INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT is initially available in Germany for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon and long wheelbase built as of 12.2020, the E-Class plug-in hybrid Saloon and Estate (this excludes the E-Class All-Terrain and long wheelbase) built as of 06.2023, the EQS Saloon, EQS SUV, the EQE Saloon and the EQE SUV (this excludes the respective vehicle models by Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes-AMG). As soon as INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT is available for a particular vehicle, the service will appear in the services menu of the Mercedes me app, ready for activation. In order to use the Mercedes me connect services, users require a personal Mercedes me ID and must agree to the conditions of use for Mercedes me connect services. Furthermore, the vehicle in question must be registered with the user account. Upon expiration of the initial period, users can extend the service INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT as long as those services remain available for that particular vehicle.

^[2] The norm SAE J3016 defines six levels of driving automation (Level 0 to Level 5). SAE Level 4 refers to high driving automation: The vehicle, under certain conditions (e.g. in a parking garage), can handle traffic situations on its own.

Intelligent bodyshell design and innovations in restraint systems confirm the leading role of the S-Class when it comes to passive safety. The new aluminium hybrid bodyshell with an aluminium content exceeding 50 percent meets numerous requirements: A high level of crash safety, up to 60 kg less weight and a highly rigid bodyshell ensure outstanding handling characteristics accompanied by excellent noise and vibration comfort.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class DIGITAL LIGHT

The bodyshell of the new S-Class was designed with a particular focus on lightweight construction. The newly developed aluminium/steel hybrid bodyshell increases the aluminium content to more than 50 percent by weight. The high proportion of aluminium is achieved by using cast and extruded structural components. This form of lightweight design and construction requires highly complex joining techniques. It demonstrates the know-how of Mercedes-Benz in the luxury saloon segment, as well as the quality arising from close, barely perceptible body joints and the highly precise fit of the design surfaces.

The extensive package of lightweight construction measures includes rigid extruded aluminium sections for the side members in the front, rear and sides. Specially developed, highly integrated diecast aluminium components are used at important nodal points in the structure.

The extremely stable side wall structure comprises the pillars, the side roof frame and the side members. The material mix of aluminium and high-strength steel alloys helps to reconcile the conflicting aims of lightweight design and crash resistance. The inner shells are partly made up of several components, with particularly large areas for the nodal points between the pillars, roof frame and side members according to the potential loads.

One-piece aluminium side wall panels are a highly effective lightweight construction feature. Particular importance was given to achieving close joints and high-quality radiuses. The body panels of the roof, bonnet, wings, boot lid and doors are also of sheet aluminium.

Passenger cell: protected by ultra high-strength and press-hardened steel

The Mercedes-Benz safety cell is the centrepiece of the safety system. It has a structure of hot-formed high-strength steel cross-members in the areas of the firewall and rear end. At the sides this is complemented with extremely rigid side sills of extruded aluminium sections, which are larger than in the preceding model, with four internal chambers.

The floor structure likewise has ultra high-strength and press-hardened steel alloys combined to form a highly functional platform. The loads arising in all impact scenarios are conducted into the main floor. The robust centre tunnel and the lateral side members provide the basis for this. These assemblies are connected using further cross-members and diagonal struts. The design of this support structure makes the use of lighter floor panels possible. These make a major contribution to weight efficiency. The load resistance of the tunnel, which is especially important for frontal impacts, is achieved using connected sections of high-strength steel. The wall thicknesses vary according to expected loads.

Front: Protection of other road users

The front structure consists of an annular upper structure, the side members and the integral carrier. Additional polymer connecting elements between the crash levels ensure particularly effective energy absorption in the early phase of a crash. The integral carrier supports the engine, steering and lower suspension arms, and uses a special crash support system to direct longitudinal forces into the floor structure during a frontal collision. In the case of semi-overlapping collisions, the cross-connections in the front section are able to activate the side unaffected by the impact, e.g. the right side of the structure in case of a semi-overlapping collision on the left, and vice versa.

In cases of heavier deformation, the wheels are supported against the rigid side wall and the wheel impact element positioned ahead of it. The geometry and strength of the side sills are configured accordingly. Above the pedal floor panel the firewall is reinforced by an exterior cross-member of high-strength steel, which is supported by the A-pillars.

As well as occupant protection, compatibility with other road users was an important development objective. For this purpose, as an addition to the previous concept, the front flexural member is designed to provide an even more stable and broad impact surface for the other vehicle in an accident, for example.

Rear section: two zones with different purposes

The safety level of the rear structure is mainly achieved by a division into two crash zones. The zone housing the fuel tank components is kept almost deformation-free by cast aluminium sections. The purpose of the crumple zone behind this is mainly to dissipate impact energy with the help of extruded aluminium structures. In the case of a semi-overlapping collision, the rear flexural member directs the loads into the side unaffected by the impact, so that both side member paths can be activated.

Restraint systems: innovations for passengers in the rear

Especially in the S-Class, particular attention has always been paid to safety in the rear. In this respect, Mercedes-Benz has long devoted itself to extending the airbag and belt systems. Large windowbags cover the side windows like a curtain. These can be triggered according to the type of impact, e.g. a severe lateral collision or a rollover. The outer seat belts are equipped with belt tensioners and belt force limiters as standard, helping to reduce the loads acting on the occupants. Rear sidebags are optionally available, as is the beltbag: as an inflatable belt strap it distributes the loads acting on the upper body over a wider area.

The rear airbag is an innovation by Mercedes-Benz: this additional airbag can further improve the safely level of passengers in the rear during a severe frontal collision (see “Under the microscope”). However it still remains important for the occupants to wear seat belts. In the rear this is made more intuitive by the optional, illuminated designer belt buckles.

New protective features for a severe lateral impact are introduced with the new S-Class. A suspension-based function has been added to the innovative PRE-SAFE^® Impulse Side: when a side impact threatens, the vehicle body can be raised by the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL suspension (optional) within a few tenths of a second.

PRE-SAFE^® Impulse Side, an innovation in the Experimental Safety Vehicle ESF 2009, had its world production premiere in 2015. The idea: to make use of the time before the impact, the system moves the occupant away from the door panel and towards the centre of the vehicle just before an impending side collision. To do this, the system inflates the air chambers in the side bolsters of the backrest within a fraction of a second when an imminent side impact is detected. This impulse not only moves the occupant away from the danger zone, increasing the distance from the door, as the impulse is also moderately transferred to the occupant. It mitigates the forces acting on him/her during a lateral impact. This can substantially lessen the load exerted on the ribcage by the side collision, and greatly reduce the risk of injury.

Mercedes-Benz has now added a new function of PRE-SAFE^® Impulse Side to its measures in the pre-accident phase: when a side impact threatens, the vehicle body can be raised by the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL suspension (optional) within a few tenths of a second. Radar sensors are used to recognise a potential side crash. The actuator is the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL suspension, which can raise the body upwards by up to 80 millimetres. This reduces the loads on the door structures, as the door sill can absorb more of the energy thanks to its higher position. As a result, deformation of the passenger cell and the loads acting on the occupants can be reduced.

During a severe side impact, the new centre airbag positions itself between the driver and front passenger seat, reducing the risk of their heads making contact It is integrated into the driver’s seatback in the middle of the vehicle.

The centre airbag is triggered when a severe side collision is recognised and certain conditions are met. The main factors for deployment are the direction of impact, impact side, and front passenger seat occupancy.

Active and passive safety have been core values of the Mercedes-Benz brand for many decades now. The company’s in-house accident research department was established 50 years ago, and in 2002 PRE-SAFE® heralded a new era in the field of preventive occupant protection. PRE-SAFE® is able to prepare vehicles and their occupants for an impending accident, thus ensuring that the protective potential of seat belts and airbags is exploited to the full, for example.

Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESF) 2019 – PRE-SAFE® Child: Connected child safety seat with PRE-SAFE® functions – extended protection for the little ones.

To protect the youngest passengers, Mercedes-Benz has presented a special seat with PRE-SAFE® function in ESF 2019. This represents a very special contribution to this year’s “Child Safety Day”, which is organised by the Federal Association “Mehr Sicherheit für Kinder e.V.” and has been held annually on 10 June since 2000. The event is intended first and foremost to instil an awareness of accident hazards in parents and children. Child Safety Day focuses on a different safety hazard for children each year. In 2019 the spotlight is on “Making the home safe together”, with the aim of drawing attention to hazards for children in the home. In the broadest sense of the word, “home” now also extends to the car in which the family heads off into the weekend or on holiday. The priority here is on safe travel.

Added safety through monitoring of the child seat installation process

The onus is first and foremost on parents to ensure safe travel for children – be they in the front passenger seat or in the rear seats. A study published by insurance company accident researchers (UDV) in October 2018 found that almost one in two child seats are not correctly installed in the car. 48 percent of the 1042 children examined were not correctly secured in their child seats. The main causes were seat installation errors and incorrect belt fastening.

Experimental-Sicherheits-Fahrzeug (ESF) 2019 – PRE-SAFE® Child: Vernetzter Kindersitz mit PRE-SAFE® Funktionen. Vor einem drohenden Crash werden präventiv die Gurte des Kindersitzes gestrafft und die Seitenaufprallschutz-Elemente ausgefahren, wenn die PRE-SAFE® Auslöseschwelle erreicht wird.
Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESF) 2019 – PRE-SAFE® Child: Connected child safety seat with PRE-SAFE® functions. Before an impending crash, the seat belts of the child safety seat are preventively tensioned and side-mounted impact protection elements are extended if the triggering threshold of PRE-SAFE® is reached.

The networked child seat with PRE-SAFE® Child (from birth to age four/ 40 – 105 cm, to 18 kg: rearward-facing up to 15 months), which has been unveiled in the ESF 2019 Experimental Safety Vehicle, reduces the risk of such incorrect installation. The child seat is connected with the vehicle via a wireless link and equipped with its own installation monitoring system: eight symbols directly on the seat guide the user through the individual installation steps in self-explanatory manner and indicate when the seat has been fitted correctly. The link with the vehicle means that installation of the seat can also be checked and monitored on the media display from the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat.

Added safety through belt pretensioning and side impact protection

The special protective functions of the child seat are also activated by wireless connection. When the vehicle’s sensors detect a PRE-SAFE®-relevant driving situation, the child seat’s five-point belt system is tensioned within milliseconds and a side impact protection element is extended. The great advantage of this system is that thanks to the tensioned belt, the child is more firmly and accurately fixed in the seat and belt slack is reduced. The loads acting on the child during an impact can be reduced substantially in this way. The side impact protection elements also follow this approach.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rodolfo Schöneburg, whose remit as a Head of Center at Mercedes-Benz includes vehicle safety, explains: “We have realised a virtual crumple zone in ESF 2019. This means that crucial measures to protect the passengers and other people involved in an accident can be implemented before an impending accident actually occurs. This also extends to safety in the rear seats, particularly with regard to improved protection for children.”
Prof. Schöneburg is convinced that PRE-SAFE® Child will serve to reduce the number of children injured in traffic accidents.

Added safety through monitoring of vital signs

Further highlights of the PRE-SAFE® child seat are an integrated camera and special sensors to monitor the child’s temperature, pulse and breathing and to establish whether the child is asleep. These additional features are useful above all when children under 15 months are correctly transported in a rearward-facing position on the rear seat. During the journey, animations (e.g. “Everything OK” or “Child waking up”) on the media display provide information about the state of the child, without distracting the driver from the traffic to any substantial degree. The display is intuitive to understand, and the system requires no additional mirrors in the interior. When the vehicle is stationary, at traffic lights, it is additionally possible to switch briefly to a live video image on the media display. If required, and with the help of the Mercedes me App, all the vital signs can also be transferred to a smartphone during a journey, e.g. to inform the other parent about the child’s condition. This child seat with PRE-SAFE® functions represents a vision which has been realised as a prototype. It has not yet been decided whether such a seat will go into series production. It is highly likely that many of the presented innovations will be implemented at some point in the future, however.

MobileKids: Greater safety outside of the vehicle, too

Mercedes-Benz is concerned not only with protecting the occupants of its vehicles, but also with helping to ensure the safety of all road users. Especially the youngest people on the roads. MobileKids, a road safety initiative which was launched in 2001, aims to ensure children are well prepared to cope with the hazards of road traffic. More than two million children have taken part in the initiative to date. At https://www.mobilekids.net/de/start children aged between six and ten can learn the basics of safe behaviour in road traffic in a fun way. MobileKids offers extensive information and teaching materials for parents and teachers, competitions for educational establishments and a wide variety of online content and activities. As such, every day is child safety day at Mercedes-Benz. MobileKids is part of the “Daimler WeCare” initiative. As a globally operative group, we help to promote social and societal development around the world.

Electric drive systems and automated driving are key technologies for the mobility of the future. This leads to changes in the requirements for in-car safety technology: firstly, much more flexible seating positions in the interior of such vehicles require a different form of occupant protection. And secondly, empathy and trust are central factors for the acceptance of self-driving vehicles. Other road users must be able to recognise intuitively what an automated vehicle intends to do, as in many situations there will be no driver to communicate this. With the new Experimental Safety Vehicle ESF 2019, Mercedes-Benz is giving an insight into the ideas that the company’s safety experts are researching and working on. Among the one dozen or so innovations, some are near-series developments and some look well into the future.

The Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESF) 2019 presents more than one dozen groundbreaking innovations in the field of safety.

The ESF 2019 is based on the new Mercedes-Benz GLE, is capable of automated driving in many situations and has a plug-in hybrid drive system. In June 2019 the ESF 2019 will make its grand appearance before experts at the ESV convention in Eindhoven (Netherlands). It will then make its public appearance at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in September 2019. In some respects the ESF 2019 is a preview of what is to come, in others a vision and in yet others a contribution to the general discussion, but it is also a tool for improved traffic safety in the great tradition of Mercedes-Benz.

“Safety is part of the brand DNA of Mercedes-Benz. We have repeatedly demonstrated that we are not short of ideas in this field since the 1970s, with our Experimental Safety Vehicles. The new ESF 2019 reflects the mobility of the future, and presents a wide variety of innovations which we are currently researching and developing. And I can already say this much: some of the functions are very close to series production,” says Ola Källenius, Member of the Daimler AG Executive Board responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

“Safety continues to be our core brand value,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rodolfo Schöneburg, Head of the Vehicle Safety, Durability and Corrosion Protection Centre at Mercedes-Benz Cars. “The great advantage of automating driving functions is that in the future, fewer accidents will be caused by driver error. However, automated and driverless vehicles also come up against physical limits, and there will undoubtedly be mixed traffic consisting of automated and non-automated vehicles for many years.”

More than one dozen innovations: more protection for passengers and partners

An overview of the key topics covered by the ESF 2019:

• All-round driver safety: When the ESF 2019 is driving in automated mode, the steering wheel and pedal cluster are retracted to reduce the risk of injury during a crash. The greater interior flexibility requires new ideas for restraint systems (seat-integrated belt) and airbags with alternative installation spaces (driver airbag in the dashboard, integral sidebag in the side bolsters of the seat backrests). However, the ESF 2019 also has ideas for a manual driving mode: With daylight-like light from the sun visor, vitalising interior light can help to keep the driver alert.
• Cooperative communication with the environment: For people to gain trust in the automated vehicle, they must immediately and intuitively be able to recognise what it intends to do. In this respect the ESF 2019 takes human road users very much into consideration. Its sensors not only keep an eye on the traffic, it communicates in all directions and can also warn other road users. The ESF 2019 is also equipped with the revolutionary headlamp technology DIGITAL LIGHT, with practically dazzle-free high beam in HD quality and a resolution of more than two million pixels.
• Child safety: With the child seat concept PRE-SAFE^® Child, the seat belt is preventively tensioned and side-mounted impact protection elements are extended before a crash. Thanks to the tensioned belt, the child is more firmly and accurately fixed in the seat while belt slack is reduced. This considerably reduces the loads acting on the child. Monitoring of seat installation and the child’s vital signs are other functions integrated into the seat.
• Securing traffic hazards: The ESF 2019 shows how the scenes of accidents or breakdowns could be secured more safely with innovations such as a small robot that automatically emerges from the vehicle’s rear following an incident, and positions itself at the roadside as a warning triangle. Other ideas are a warning triangle that folds out of the vehicle roof at the same time, and the rear window as a communication surface.
• New PRE-SAFE^® functions: PRE-SAFE^® Curve (which uses the belt tensioner to warn the driver that he/she has possibly underestimated an approaching bend) and PRE-SAFE^® side lights with electro-luminescent paint can defuse potentially hazardous situations. PRE-SAFE^® Impulse Rear is able to extend the protection of passengers and others involved in an accident at the end of a traffic tailback.
• Safety and comfort in the rear: An innovative rear airbag uses a special new inflation concept to deploy and position the airbag. It has a special tubular structure for this purpose. With belt-feeders, belt buckle illumination, USB belt buckles and belt heating, the ESF 2019 implements a number of ideas by which passengers on the rear seats might be motivated to wear seat belts using new methods.
• Active safety: Active Brake Assist with extended functions in the ESF 2019 provides additional protection, especially in potentially dangerous traffic situations with unprotected road users. When turning, it now also detects pedestrians and cyclists moving in parallel to the original direction of travel. If a collision with unprotected road users crossing the road into which the vehicle is turning is imminent, the driver receives a visual and audible warning. Autonomous braking is initiated if the driver fails to react. The same also applies if there are any cyclists in the blind spot when turning to the right. If there is a risk of collision with cross-traffic when turning off or crossing a road, the system now prevents the driver from moving off and, if necessary, stops the vehicle, including from walking speed, by means of autonomous braking. The 360° pedestrian protection system warns and assists while parking and manoeuvring if there is a risk of collision with more vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists), right up to autonomous braking. 

“Real Life Safety” philosophy: learning from real accidents

In its safety development work, Mercedes-Benz takes its lead from real accidents for the protection of all road users. This Real Life Safety philosophy not only includes simulations and crash tests, legal requirements and published ratings. On the basis of what actually happens in accidents, it develops strict in-house safety regulations that in many cases go well beyond the legal provisions or rating requirements.

The key is accident research: for 50 years, in-house experts have examined serious accidents involving current Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The aim is to learn from them, and incorporate the findings into the designs of new models.

New ideas and safety concepts such as those shown in the ESF 2019 can be tested and validated e.g. at the Technology Centre for Vehicle Safety (TFS). Opened in November 2016, the TFS is part of the development centre in Sindelfingen and one of the world’s most modern crash test centres. Mercedes-Benz has a wide range of test facilities at the TFS, so as to remain the trailblazer in vehicle safety.

The history of the ESF models: from research to series production

Mercedes-Benz is continuing a long-standing tradition with the ESF 2019: For the ESV Safety Conferences held from 1971 to 1975, the safety experts built more than 30 experimental vehicles which they crash-tested to achieve the always visionary safety objectives of Mercedes-Benz. Four of these vehicles – ESF 5, ESF 13 (both based on the medium-class W 114/”Stroke/8″ series), ESF 22 and ESF 24 (both based on the W 116-series S-Class) – were presented to the public.

The first ESF vehicle for many years, and the direct predecessor to the ESF 2019, was the ESF 2009. This research vehicle celebrated its premiere on 15 June 2009, at the 21st ESV (Enhanced Safety of Vehicles) conference) in Stuttgart. Numerous innovations in the ESF 2009 have meanwhile entered series production. These include e.g. the beltbag available for the S-Class, PRE-SAFE^® Impulse Side for the E-Class, CLS and GLE and Active High Beam Assist Plus, which is available for many model series.

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is tough enough to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award, joining the ML-Class as the second Mercedes-Benz to receive the accolade, this is according to the latest testing from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The IIHS reports that the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class earned a “Good” rating in all categories, including the front small-overlap test, as well as moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint crash tests. For its available forward collision warning system, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is also worthy of a “Basic” rating for front crash prevention, while models equipped with optional automatic braking in the event of an imminent crash get a “Superior” rating. The E-Class is the fourth large luxury car to meet the criteria, following the 2014 Acura RLX, 2015 Hyundai Genesis, and 2014 Volvo S80.

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is tough enough to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award, joining the ML-Class as the second Mercedes-Benz to receive the accolade

Criteria for the IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ were revised for 2014. Now, vehicles must receive at least “Good” in all basic categories except the front small-overlap test, in which “Acceptable” is a minimum requirement. For top-level Top Safety Pick+ status, vehicles are required to have an available front collision warning system.
We’ve seen how tough the new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety front small-overlap test has been for automakers. Toyota previously initiated a mid-cycle refresh for the Camry, RAV4, and Prius V in order to pass the front small-overlap test, which those vehicles previously failed. Honda took similar action so the 2014 Honda Odyssey would pass the rigorous crash test.

For this year’s evaluation, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class received a strengthened footwell area to better protect the passenger compartment. While the move was effective, the seatbelt was still loose enough to allow the driver dummy’s head to rotate substantially, striking the A-pillar. Still, the side curtain airbag deployed quickly and effectively enough to keep risk of serious injury low. (The new rating applies only to E-Class models built since January 2014, when the physical changes were implemented.)

Hopefully you don’t have to test its safety capability first-hand, but be sure to watch the IIHS video of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the small front-overlap test.

Via: Automobile Mag

When you’re in an accident and your car is seriously damaged, the first thing that needs to be done is to get your free of the vehicle – a dangerous task for all those involved.  But if rescuers have your vehicle’s rescue card, showing your car’s specific construction details their job not only got a little easier but a lot less dangerous.  On the card is information about the location of airbags, battery, fuel tanks, etc. so that, for example, when using a hydraulic cutter, the best cut point can quickly be targeted. All manufacturers currently have rescue cards available for fitting on their vehicle models, but Daimler wasn’t satisfied, they took it a step further, using technology to further increase the safety of it’s drivers and passengers.

Mercedes-Benz Safety

Daimler is the world’s first car manufacturer to offer direct access to vehicle-specific rescue cards by using a QR code, a type of scannable bar code used by today’s smart phones.   “Electronic access by means of a QR code enables Mercedes-Benz to support in the rescue of accident victims”, says Christian Treiber, Director, Service & Parts for Passenger Cars at Mercedes-Benz Global Service & Parts. “The sticker is easy to retrofit to second-hand cars. So this safety benefit is something we can offer not just to owners of new Mercedes-Benz vehicles.” The QR code has been fitted as standard in all new Mercedes-Benz cars since the end of 2013 and is to be fitted in smart vehicles starting in January of this year. With immediate effect, the QR code can be installed in all Mercedes-Benz and smart used vehicles manufactured from 1990 onwards. The fitting must be done by an authorised Mercedes-Benz or smart service station. Treiber: “In many countries, we are offering our customers the chance to have the QR code retrofitted free of charge.” For ease of access, the QR code stickers are attached to the fuel filler flap and the B-pillar on the opposite side. Accident investigators have established that these two areas offer easy external access and only in rare cases are both of them seriously damaged.The black-and-white scannable symbol can be seen practically everywhere today: on adverts, packaging and even on business cards. It comprises a string of characters that enable a quick response (hence QR) and take the user to a predetermined web address. When the code is scanned with a smartphone or tablet, with an existing internet connection the rescue card can be quickly accessed to provide safety-relevant vehicle informations. The rescue card is currently available in seven languages, and from February in 23 languages, and will display in the language of the end user’s mobile device. If the language required is not available, the text will revert to English. An app for the emergency services that will allow the rescue card to be read even without an internet connection is planned to be available by the end of June 2014. Mercedes-Benz has waived its right to make a patent application so that the technology will be available for everyone.

Before I had a baby, I was the proud owner of a lovely red SLK-Class, and the last thing I thought about when purchasing it was how many people it seated.  But then I had my first baby followed shortly thereafter by my second, and seating soon became a priority in my automobile selection.  With two car seats, we settled on an E-Class, but if anyone wanted to travel with me and my husband, they were typically out of luck, as our mammoth car seats took up most of the back seat.  Then came the news that I was pregnant now with my third, and I started to relegate myself to the fact that the only option I had left to drive was either a mini-van or a full-size SUV.

Unfortunately, neither option held much appeal to me as I love the handling and performance of my E-Class, and my husband (as is the case with most men) isn’t very keen on the idea of a minivan.  So for the last 6 months I’ve weighed my options, until one day I asked myself the question “Are there any car seats that would comfortably fit three across in a standard sedan?”  My search began, and that’s when I was introduced to the newer car seat brand Clek.  Their car seats are slimmer than most other car seats, meaning three across seating is possible, but what impressed me equally as much was the safety that Clek car seats offered despite the slimmer size.

Clek Foonf and Clek Oobr

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the number one killer of children 1-12 years old in the United States – a scary thought considering the U.S. has such strict child safety laws. The main cause of the high death rate in car crashes comes from improper installation, both from the car seat being installed improperly or the child not being secured properly.  Another main cause of injury in crashes is how the car seats distribute force.  The faster a child stops, the more likely they are to be hurt.  Clek has addressed both these elements in their car seats, offering guides to ensure your child is properly secured as well as developing a unique crumple construction to reduce the force placed on your child in the event of a crash.  Whether you have a younger child (ages 3 and under) and choose the Clek Foonf or an older child (ages 4+) and pick the Clek Oobr, you can rest assured that they’re going to be protected in the unfortunate event an accident does occur.

Cleck Foonf

The Clek Foonf

The Clek Foonf is Clek’s traditional car seat for kids up to the age of 4 (or longer, depending on their size).  In addition to its narrow size compared to other car seats (under 17 in. at its widest point and 13 in. at the base), one of the things that sold me on Clek is their REACT Safety System for when your child is forward-facing.  REACT works much like the crumple zones in your actual car – when a crash happens, rather than bringing your child to an abrupt stop, it allows momentum to happen over a longer period of time through a series of controlled events. An aluminum honeycomb absorbs energy from the collision, resulting in less force transferred to the child.  There’s also energy absorbing foam in both the headrest and frame, further reducing force in a crash.

Another problem with car seats is improper installation.  Clek has worked to eliminate this problem, making installation simple and straight forward. For example, when facing forward, the Clek Foonf has a Rigid-LATCH system that easily clicks into your cars lower latch anchor and that’s it – the Foonf is perfectly seated and installed. When the Foonf is installed facing the rear (which is recommended until your child’s second birthday), it employs a smartly designed belt installation with base along with an anti-rebound bar for that virtually guarantees easy and correct installation.

Strapping your child in is equally as simple thanks to a few well thought out features.  The biggest pain with car seats undoubtedly is the dreaded twisted straps.  On the Foonf, extra wide straps have been used to prevent twisting, while the seat belts can be easily tucked into the sides of the seat when your child gets in, preventing them from getting stuck underneath your child as they’re getting in (if you’re a new parent, trust me, not having to untwist straps when your child is seated is very important).  Once they’re in, pull the belt snug and ensure chest strap is in place and you’re done.  The entire process is quick, simple, and virtually error-proof.

Clek Oobr

Clek Oobr

When you’re ready to move your child out of the Foonf, Clek offers the Oobr, a child booster seat that really redefines what a booster seat is. Using the same Rigid-LATCH System as the Foonf, installation is quick and perfect every time. Because your child is raised up, proper belt placement over your child’s hips and shoulders is made easier, while the belt guides further encourage proper seat belt positioning.

The Oobr’s doesn’t just protect your child by guaranteeing proper installation though – it was also designed to take impact from front, side and rear collisions much like the Foonf. Fitting children up to 57″ or 100 lbs., the Oobr notes a magnesium back frame, a structural headrest with deep side wings and an energy absorbing foam layer, which again helps absorb energy in the event of a collision.  The result is a booster that keeps 4 year old+ kids safer in front, rear and side collisions because it both supports them and help absorb energy at the same time.

Clek Foonf and Oobr Conclusion

As much as the Foonf and Oobr have been designed for safety, they’ve also been designed with comfort and style in mind. Both designs are available in a multitude of colored fabrics in either white or black bases, including three designs by iconic lifestyle brand tokidoki all in materials that are stain, moisture and bacteria resistant.  Put it all together, and the Clek Foonf and Clek Oobr are not only among the best, safest and most stylish car seats currently available, but they also solve a problem that myself and so many other families are facing – how to avoid the dreaded mini-van and seat three across. Thankfully, as long you have any standard sized sedan, chances are three Clek car seats will fit. Even if you’re only planning on having two chlidren, I still highly recommend them, as the car seats save so much room over standard convertible and booster car seats that you still have a functional way to include a third adult in your backseat as well.

After using Cleck seats for my family, they’re easily one of the smartest, most intelligently designed car seats I’ve ever used, and I can’t recommend them enough.

Stay alert, keep a safe distance, focus on your surroundings and prepare for anything.  Ideally as a safe driver, these are all things you should be capable of doing.  But with the dawn of smart phones, endless commutes and a plethora of buttons, being a safe driver isn’t as easy as it once was.  Counteracting your newfound driving distractions, Mercedes-Benz has developed the Intelligent Drive system. The intelligent networking of the most innovative driver assistance systems currently available.  The Intelligent Drive systems help drivers in repetitive, unpleasant and difficult driving situations control their vehicle and prevent and minimize accidents.

Check out Mercedes’ latest video for their Intelligent Drive System featuring Michael Schumacher as well as a video showcasing the the future of intelligent driving.

The Mercedes-Benz M-Class has succeeded in passing what is now the stricter crash test carried out by the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), picking up the “Top Safety Pick+” (TSP+) award in the process. The premium SUV already received five stars in the U.S. NCAP and Euro NCAP tests in 2012. As a result of this latest award, the M-Class has again achieved the best marks and defended its leading position in three of the world’s most important and most demanding safety ratings.

2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTEC

“We are extremely pleased with this award as only a few vehicles manage to achieve this hat-trick in the international safety ratings”, explained Prof Dr Ing. Rodolfo Schöneburg, Head of Passive Safety and Vehicle Functions at Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Achieving this result in the world’s most important consumer tests is extremely important to us. However, we base our integral safety development on real accident situations on the road, namely Real Life Safety.” Overall as part of the M-Class development, Mercedes-Benz tested no less than 36 completely different load cases under real test conditions. This included comprehensive simulations as part of the digital prototype phase.

A new element of the rating applied by the IIHS – an organisation supported by various vehicle insurance companies – is the so-called “small-overlap test”. As part of this, a front impact test is carried out at 64 km/h with a face contact ratio of 25 percent. This is designed to simulate a front impact in which the driver tries to swerve to the side but does not quite manage to avoid the vehicle coming in the opposite direction. Model year 2014 vehicles must pass this test in order to receive the “Top Safety Pick” award. Out of the total of five crash tests carried out by the IIHS (frontal 40%, frontal 25%, side impact, whiplash and roof crush), only the small-overlap test may be assessed with a rating of ACCEPTABLE, while all other tests must be performed with a best mark of GOOD in order to achieve the new TSP+ award – something which the M-Class has now succeeded in doing.

2012 Mercedes-Benz ML Cargo Space and rear seat

The NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) ratings, on the other hand, are based on another face contact ratio in the case of the front impact: for the U.S. NCAP for example, in the front impact the vehicle is driven into a fixed barrier at a speed of 56 km/h with a full face contact ratio. In contrast, the front impact of the Euro NCAP is carried out against a deformable barrier at a speed of 64 km/h and with a face contact ratio of 40 percent (offset crash test).

In addition, different side impact tests and tests on child and pedestrian safety are included as part of the ratings, and the standard of equipment with assistance systems is also increasingly being incorporated into the assessment.

2012 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class

One star is all you need: the safety concept of the M-Class

In line with the Mercedes-Benz brand philosophy, the M-Class represents the embodiment of the holistic safety concept of Real Life Safety, which is derived not only from ratings but also primarily from what happens in real accident situations. The extremely robust occupant compartment of the M-Class, together with the front and rear deformation zones, forms an effective basis for the occupant protection systems. Up to nine airbags, which are deployed as needed depending on the type and severity of the accident, are able to reduce the loads on the occupants. As standard the M-Class is fitted with a rollover sensor which is able to detect an impending vehicle rollover and deploy the standard-fit windowbags, which offer protection across both rows of seats against objects penetrating into the vehicle. Additional protection potential is also offered for the rear passengers thanks to the standard belt tensioners and belt-force limiters on the outer seat positions. It is precisely in a rollover that these belts are also tensioned, for example.

By way of special equipment the M-Class comes with the anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE® as standard. The continually enhanced system increases protection for the occupants in situations of danger.

To supplement the active safety systems such as the standard-fit Brake Assist System (BAS) or the optional BAS PLUS, which are able to help avoid an accident or reduce its consequences, assistance systems contribute to improved ride safety and also driver-fitness safety. The standard equipment includes the drowsiness detection system ATTENTION ASSIST, the tyre pressure loss warning system and also adaptive brake lights. Optional additions to the scope of equipment include active assistance systems such as Active Lane Keeping Assist or Active Blind Spot Assist.

Ever since its May 15 world debut and even before, we’ve been bringing you information, technical specs, and spy photos on the all new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class.  But even with all the news we’ve delivered, this is the first time we have its crash test photos.  The photos came our way thanks to our good friends at MBPassion and show the 2014 S-Class in both a a front impact and side impact test scenarios.

We are not questioning whether or not the Mercedes flagship will receive a 5-star rating, there is no doubt that it’s safest car on the road.  But we are curious to see the results and what the differences are from the old S-Class to the new. After all, the new S-Class is built with a third generation improved aluminum shell that offers 50 percent better torsional stiffness than the prior model and features a passenger cell made out of high strength steel as well as specially placed structural foam at specific points for passenger protection.

But, it is not just the passengers the 2014 S-Class aims to protect.  With the 2014 model, Mercedes has made an effort to ensure the safety of pedestrians as well with recognition programs in the Pre-Safe Brake, Night View Assist Plus and the new Stereo Multi Purpose Camera.  There will always be unavoidable cases.  But, lucky for the not so lucky pedestrian, when one of those unavoidable cases happens to them, Mercedes has made every effort to minimize injuries.  Using an Active Bonnet, specially designed sensors and algorithms to raise the bonnet by around 80 mm, the load exerted on a pedestrian if they hit their head on the bonnet is greatly reduced.

But even with the new design features developed to keep S-Class passengers, pedestrians and other vehicles safer in a crash, the goal of the S-Class is to avoid accidents in the first place.

HT: Shrawan

Despite the increased standards implemented in the NCAP crash tests, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and M-Class SUV have still earned the highest five star ratings in their latest New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) conducted by the U.S. Federal government. Since the increased NCAP crash tests requirements were implemented in 2010, very few new cars have achieved this top rating.  The results confirm what we already knew, that Mercedes-Benz owners can feel exceptionally safe in their cars.

Latest NCAP Tests Much Tougher

The US-NCAP program significantly tightened up many of the requirements for model years 2011 and newer. For example, the frontal impact focuses on very low loads on the head (head injury criterion), neck, chest and femur of both driver and passenger. Furthermore, an additional stringent test for side impact is also conducted. The tightened requirements resulted in a dramatic decrease of new five-star results within the industry. Mercedes-Benz C-Class and M-Class are now amongst the few vehicles that achieved the top result of five stars. Finally, the results confirm that Mercedes-Benz customers can feel exceptionally safe in their cars.

Real-World Testing At Mercedes-Benz

Professor Rodolfo Schoeneburg, head of Mercedes-Benz safety development said that “For decades, Mercedes-Benz has taken a comprehensive approach to safety that reflects what actually happens in real-world accidents. The challenge is to depict reality in our crash lab. To do so, we use some 40 different crash test scenarios. A significant number of these are based on our own accident research and are unique to our brand. The C-Class and M-Class have each passed more than 200 high-speed in-house crash tests and more than 5,000 numerical crash test simulations.”

Mercedes-Benz Also Named “Top Safety Pick” by IIHS

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an independent non-profit organization formed by vehicle insurance companies, conducts similar crash tests for which the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and M-Class have both received the “Top Safety Pick” designation. The two model lines also earned five-star ratings in European NCAP tests, thereby confidently mastering three of the most challenging international safety rating programs.

Mercedes-Benz Leads A New Era of Safety Technology

Mercedes-Benz, the company that pioneered the crumple zone, ABS anti-lock brakes, air bags, traction control and ESP stability control, as well as PRE-SAFE® and many other significant automotive safety advances in widespread use today, continues to offer a plethora of potentially life-saving safety features. ATTENTION ASSIST, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Nightview Assist PLUS and Adaptive Highbeam Assist are available on many Mercedes-Benz models.

PRE-SAFE® Gives A Car Fast Reflexes

PRE-SAFE can actually react before a crash occurs. Although most restraint systems are activated in the first milliseconds of an impact, PRE-SAFE recognizes an impending accident before it happens. Standard on most models, it is optional on the C-Class equipped with the DISTRONIC cruise control system.

PRE-SAFE, which has won numerous industry awards in the US and abroad as a forward-thinking safety concept, senses oversteer, understeer and emergency braking, and capitalizes on conditions inside the car during the precious seconds before an impact. The revolutionary PRE-SAFE® system automatically tightens the front seat belts during those valuable seconds just before a possible impact, and the front passenger seat (and optional power rear seats) move to positions that can provide better protection. If the system senses an impending rollover, the sunroof closes to help protect occupants, and the side windows also close to provide better support for the window curtain air bags.

Active Belt Latch and Rear Belt Bag

Professor Schoeneburg added that “Very soon, we will extend PRE-SAFE to the rear passenger seats and introduce an active belt latch. An electric motor automatically moves the latch to reduce belt slack and pre-tension the seat belt in critical situations. We are convinced passengers will love the active latch as it lifts the latch when entering the car and makes belt usage very easy and convenient. The active belt latch comes together with our new belt bag. This inflatable shoulder belt reduces the risk of injury in a frontal collision by reducing the local loads on the rear occupants’ chest.”

ATTENTION ASSIST Cautions “Take a Break!”

A great example of intelligent technology that doesn’t need to be expensive is the standard ATTENTION ASSIST feature. It can alert the driver to the first signs of drowsiness, a factor that causes more than 100,000 accidents a year in the U.S. A steering sensor is coupled to smart software that uses 70 parameters to establish a unique driver profile during the first 20 minutes of driving. The system identifies the erratic steering corrections drivers make as they begin to get drowsy and triggers an audible warning, and a “Take a Break!” message represented with a coffee cup icon appear in the instrument cluster.

Blind Spot Assist and Lane Keeping Assist

Optional Active Blind Spot Assist monitors both blind spots and warns the driver whenever a turn signal is activated with a vehicle in the blind spot, while Active Lane Keeping Assist recognizes lane markings and alerts the driver by simulating rumble strip vibrations in the steering wheel if the car drifts from its lane without the turn signals on.

Both Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist now incorporate automatic ESP brake intervention. If the driver doesn’t heed the initial warnings, the ESP system applies the brake on one wheel to help correct the car’s path.

New Night Driving Technology

Night View Assist PLUS is available on select models as a valuable tool where Adaptive Highbeam Assist uses a small video camera to sense both headlights and taillights, then softly and automatically transitions between high and low beam operation to avoid dazzling other drivers. With this system, the range of the head lights can be varied from their current 220 feet to up to 1,000 feet.

With the upcoming launch of the all-new 2014 S-Class in Fall 2012, the latest version of the system will allow a driver to see pedestrians or animals up to 300 feet earlier than before, and they appear in the display with an outlined frame highlighting each person. In contrast to passive systems that rely on thermal imaging, this active system bathes the road ahead with invisible infra-red light from two beams mounted in the headlights. Extending the driver’s ability to see ahead to nearly 500 feet, Night View Assist PLUS uses an infra-red camera in the windshield and displays the reflected images as highly detailed black & white video images in the instrument cluster.

M-Class Features New Collision Prevention Assist

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport utility marks the debut of an important new safety feature – Collision Prevention Assist, which uses dedicated radar sensors to monitor the distance to a vehicle in front and to stationary objects.

If the system senses a risk of imminent collision, it alerts the driver with an audible and visual warning in the instrument cluster. The new system can also recognize and adapt its response to a number of driving conditions such as bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Professor Schoeneburg concludes by stating that “We also put emphasis on intelligent driver assistance systems that could, for the first time, prevent accidents with crossing vehicles or pedestrians, as well as active lane keeping assistance systems which could also prevent accidents with oncoming traffic. Anti-dazzle permanent main-beam headlamps are also in development. Assistance systems like these are not yet generally required by vehicle safety rating programs, but various institutions are already starting to request and assess them.”

With its 360° screen, fast electric power system and the twelve-metre-long rail for transverse or longitudinal movements, the new “Moving Base” simulator from Mercedes-Benz is the most powerful in the entire car industry. It went into operation at the end of 2010.

“With the simulator, we are able to realistically reproduce highly dynamic driving manoeuvres such as lane-changing and therefore research the behaviour of the driver and the vehicle in road traffic in great depth,” explains Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Daimler Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. The system is not intended to replace real test drives entirely. The simulator will enable systems and components for future Mercedes models to be tested throughout all development phases, however.

The driving simulator is furthermore used to conduct trials with test subjects. During these, normal car drivers are able to approach the physical limits of driving performance with absolutely no danger, providing the Mercedes engineers with invaluable findings on the acceptance and operation of new safety systems.

How the simulator works

The simulator cell is basically a cab fixed to a hexapod on six moveable supports. Inside there is a complete Mercedes model in which the test driver is seated, as well as the 360° projection screen showing a realistic image of the traffic scenario, with moving pedestrians, oncoming traffic and houses.

The vehicle controls are linked to the computerised control system of the driving simulator by data lines. When the test driver turns the steering wheel, accelerates or operates the brakes, these reactions are registered by the computer control system and have the same effects as in real traffic situations. The scenery on the screen changes constantly, while the hexapod and the linear movements combine together to create a realistic impression of vehicle motion. The computer calculates the driving behaviour of the car more than 1000 times per second, issuing the relevant commands to the electrics. It is able to move the cell transversely by up to twelve metres at a maximum speed of ten metres per second (36 km/h), so that double lane-changes can also be simulated, for example.

Equally high-tech: part of the energy required to operate the simulator is recovered by means of energy recuperation during braking and fed into the power network of the Sindelfingen plant.

In its role as a safety pioneer, Mercedes-Benz has long led the way in the use of simulators, too. The first driving simulator, an in-house development, was commissioned at the Daimler-Benz research centre in Berlin-Marienfelde over 25 years ago.

Over the last couple of weeks, Mercedes has been offering up bits and pieces of information regarding the all-new, 2013 S-Class.  With the launch of the new S-Class comes quite a few new, never before seen safety features; and with those new features comes quite a a large amount of questions regarding the new terminology (namely, what exactly are the assistance programs and what do they do?)  To make reading future press releases easier on you, we’ve compiled a list of the top new assistance programs to keep you up to speed on the new terms, some of which are seen only on the S-Class and some of which are available brand wide.

Adaptive Highbeam Assist PLUS: permanent main beam with no dazzling. If the camera-based Adaptive Highbeam Assist PLUS picks up oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead, it adapts the light distribution according to the specific situation when the main beam is on. A mechanism in the headlamp module masks the portion of the LED headlamps’ cone of light where there are other vehicles to prevent their drivers being dazzled. Possible backglare caused by increased use of the main beam and highly reflective signs at the side of the road is also detected and eliminated by dimming the headlamps accordingly. Consequently, the driver can simply leave the main-beam headlamps on at all times and use their full range without irritating or even endangering other road users. The system is active at speeds above 30 km/h when travelling in the dark on roads without street lighting.

Active seat-belt buckle: comfort and safety. An electric motor extends and retracts the belt buckle automatically. In this way, any belt slack in the area of the pelvis and thorax can be reduced so that passengers are secured more firmly in both the sideways and the lengthways direction. Fastening seat belts in the rear has also been made simpler: the seat belt buckle emerges from the upholstery when the rear doors are opened and is provided with an illuminated insertion slot.

Active Parking Assist: automatic manoeuvring into and out of parallel and perpendicular parking spaces. The Active Parking Assist is designed for automated parking with active steering and brake control in both parallel and end-on spaces. The driver moves the vehicle by manually pressing the accelerator or releasing the brake. What’s more, the system is now also able to manoeuvre out of parallel parking spaces again all by itself with automatic steering and brake control, assuming the vehicle was parked there automatically previously.

Active Lane Keeping Assist: intervention to correct unintentional lane changes even with a broken line. The new improved version of the Active Lane Keeping Assist is now also able to intervene should the driver inadvertently cross a broken line when there is a risk of a collision. The system uses the information from the radar system to detect when the adjacent lane is not clear. The radar system has been supplemented by a sensor at the rear, which works in unison with the other sensors in the front and rear bumpers. The Active Lane Keeping Assist is not only capable of recognising critical situations such as overtaking vehicles, parallel traffic and parking vehicles, it can also respond effectively to oncoming traffic. If the system detects the risk of a collision, not only does it cause the steering wheel to vibrate in pulses as a haptic warning for the driver, it intervenes with lane-correcting single-sided braking via the ESP®. It thereby forms the ideal complement to the Active Blind Spot Assist.

Active Blind Spot Assist: warning for lane changes. This radar-based system alerts the driver if it detects another vehicle in the blind spot when changing lanes. If the driver ignores the system’s warnings and comes dangerously close to the vehicle in the adjacent lane, Active Blind Spot Assist intervenes by applying the brakes at the wheels on the opposite side of the vehicle to create a yawing movement that can avert a collision.

BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist: braking assistance also for crossing traffic. For the first time, the Brake Assist system BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist can help to avoid not just rear-end collisions with vehicles directly in front, but also imminent crashes with cross traffic at junctions. If the anticipatory system detects a hazardous situation of this type based on the amalgamated data from the new stereo camera and the radar sensor system, it prompts the driver to start emergency braking by activating visual and acoustic warnings. If the driver presses the brake pedal too tentatively, as is often the case, BAS PLUS will step in by automatically boosting brake pressure for effective emergency braking, even applying the brakes at full power if necessary. The Cross-Traffic Assist is active at speeds up to 72 km/h.

BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE® Brake: preventing traffic accidents with pedestrians and vehicles in front. Pedestrian detection has been added to the BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE® Brake functions, while autonomous braking for vehicles in front has undergone a major advance. By fusing the data from the stereo camera and radar sensors, it is now possible to detect pedestrians in front of the vehicle. Visual and acoustic warnings are given when a hazard is spotted. If the driver then reacts by braking, the braking power will be boosted by BAS PLUS as the situation requires, right up to a full brake application. Should the driver fail to react, the PRE-SAFE® Brake will trigger autonomous vehicle braking. The pedestrian detection is active up to approx. 72 km/h, and is able to prevent collisions with pedestrians from an initial speed of up to 50 km/h. The operating range of the autonomous braking function for stationary vehicles has been optimised so that rear-end collisions can likewise be avoided at speeds of up to 50 km/h now.

Beltbag: reduces the risk of injury to passengers in the rear. This inflatable seat-belt strap is able to reduce the risk of injury to passengers in the rear in a head-on collision by lessening the strain placed on the ribcage. Should the crash sensors detect a severe frontal impact, the airbag control unit will trigger deployment and inflation of the beltbag. A gas generator then inflates the multi-layered belt strap with Velcro seams to nearly three times its normal width. The resulting larger surface area is able to better distribute the force acting on the seat occupant, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

Data fusion: amalgamation for reliable operation. Highly sophisticated sensors and the necessary networked algorithms provide the foundation for innovative new functions. Data fusion enables the algorithms for the varying systems to amalgamate the visual information from the stereo camera with the readings from the radar sensors. Many of the assistance systems from Mercedes-Benz work in this way, fusing multiple or complementary data sources to ensure reliable operation.

DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist: comfort-enhancing assistance with lateral lane guidance. The DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control system is a driver aid designed to keep the vehicle at the desired distance from another vehicle in front, even in stop & go traffic. This basic radar-based function has now been enhanced by the addition of a Steering Assist, which helps drivers to stay centred in their lane by generating the appropriate steering torque when travelling on a straight road and even in gentle bends. The stereo camera recognises lane markings as well as a vehicle driving ahead, and relays this information to the electric steering assistance system. When driving at slow speeds, e.g. in congested traffic, the Steering Assist can use the vehicle ahead as a means of orientation, even when there are no clear lane markings visible.

The system’s design is so refined that the sensors can detect whether the driver’s hands are actually on the steering wheel. If they are not, a visual warning is issued first. Should the driver fail to react, a warning signal sounds and lateral lane guidance is deactivated.

The system can be activated at speeds up to 200 km/h. A green steering wheel symbol appears in the instrument cluster to indicate when the Steering Assist is operating while DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.

Infrared headlamps: two separate light sources in the headlamp assemblies light up the road ahead with invisible infrared light. Used for the Night View Assist PLUS.

Far-infrared camera: detects relevant objects (pedestrians and animals such as deer, horses, cattle) at a distance of up to 160 m as a thermal image, enabling it to control the warning function. Used for the Night View Assist PLUS.

Multi-level functionality: dazzle protection for following traffic. The intensity of the brake lights is reduced at night-time or while waiting at traffic lights out of consideration for any road users behind.

Night View Assist PLUS: alerting to pedestrians and animals. The new Night View Assist PLUS is capable of detecting pedestrians and animals in potentially hazardous positions in front of the vehicle. It automatically switches the instrument cluster display from the speedometer to a crystal-sharp night view image to alert the driver in unlit areas. Pedestrians or animals detected ahead are clearly highlighted in colour in this image. The spotlight function is additionally used to repeatedly flash pedestrians in the warning zone by means of a special module in the front headlamps. This attracts the driver’s attention to the source of the danger at the same time as warning the person on the side of the road. These functions are now available in urban areas, too. Infrared headlamps, a long-range infrared camera, a short-range infrared camera and a spotlight function are used to provide the various functions.

Near infrared camera: shows a sharp greyscale image of the area in front of the vehicle in the instrument cluster display. Used for the Night View Assist PLUS.

PRE-SAFE® Impulse: at an early phase of the crash, before the resulting deceleration starts to increase, the front occupants are pulled away from the direction of impact and deeper into their seats by their seat belts. By the time the accident enters the phase when loads peak, the extra distance they are retracted by can be used while dissipating energy in a controlled fashion. Pre-acceleration and force limitation allow the occupants to be temporarily isolated from the effects of the crash, significantly reducing the risk and severity of injuries in a frontal collision. With PRE-SAFE® Impulse, the seat belt strap can be retracted by pyrotechnic means at all three belt anchorage points, and released again with controlled force. The fundamental difference compared to conventional belt tensioners is that the force for retracting the belt strap is maintained for a much longer time. The deployment logic fires the seat belt system’s belt tensioners progressively depending on the seriousness of the accident. In this way, the tensioning force can be adapted as required.

PRE-SAFE® PLUS: occupant protection for an imminent impact from the rear. PRE-SAFE® PLUS offers an extension of the familiar occupant protection measures in situations where traffic behind poses a danger. A radar sensor in the rear bumper monitors the traffic behind the vehicle and can detect the risk of a rear-end collision. The system warns the driver of the vehicle behind by activating the rear hazard warning lights at a higher frequency than normal. Apart from this, the PRE-SAFE® anticipatory occupant protection measures, including the reversible belt tensioners, are also deployed. If the vehicle is stationary, PRE-SAFE® PLUS will keep it firmly braked. Minimising the forward jolt in this way can greatly reduce the strain placed on the occupants, such as the risk of whiplash injuries. Firmly applying the vehicle’s brakes can help to prevent secondary accidents too, such as running into a vehicle in front, for example, or colliding with pedestrians or other road users at junctions.

Radar: sensor technology for picking up relevant obstacles. New improved versions of the short-range and long-range radars combine with a new multi-mode radar to detect relevant obstacles such as vehicles or people in defined areas in front of, next to and, now, behind the vehicle, too. The system employs 2 x short-range radars at the front (range 30 m, opening angle 80°), 1 x long-range radar at the front (200 m, 18°) with mid-range scan (60 m, 60°), 2 x short-range radars on the sides at the rear (30 m, 80°) and 1 x multi-mode radar at the rear (30 m, 80° and 80 m, 16°).The algorithms for the varying systems amalgamate (data fusion) the radar readings with the visual information from the stereo camera. Many of the assistance systems from Mercedes-Benz work in this way, fusing complementary data sources to ensure reliable operation.

Spotlight function in the front headlamps: flashes pedestrians detected with the help of the controllable main beam module. Used for the Night View Assist PLUS.

Stereo Multi-Purpose Camera (SMPC, stereo camera for short): 3D vision. Just like the Multi-Purpose Camera (MPC) fitted previously, the stereo camera is positioned behind the windscreen in the vicinity of the rear-view mirror. However, the camera features two “eyes” that produce a 3D view of the area up to around 50 metres in front of the vehicle while monitoring the overall situation ahead for a range of up to 500 metres. In this way, the camera is able to provide data for processing by various systems. Intelligent algorithms perform a visual evaluation of this three-dimensional information in order to detect and carry out spatial classification of both vehicles that are driving ahead, oncoming or crossing, as well as pedestrians and a variety of traffic signs within a large field of vision. Used for example for BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist and DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist.

Traffic Sign Assist: now recognises no-overtaking zones and access restrictions, too. The new Traffic Sign Assist, which builds on the capabilities of the previous Speed Limit Assist, represents yet another contribution to accident prevention from Mercedes-Benz. The system is now also able to recognise no-overtaking zones and alert drivers to access restrictions. The camera on the inside of the windscreen continues to pick up speed limit signs, including those on overhead gantries and in roadworks, for example. The camera’s data is cross-referenced against the information in the navigation system and can be displayed in both the instrument cluster and the map view. If the camera fails to spot any road signs showing a speed limit or a speed limit is lifted, the legal speed limits based on the navigation data are shown instead, such as a maximum speed of 100 km/h on country roads in Germany or 50 km/h in built-up areas. No-overtaking zones and the signs signalling their end are also registered and displayed, while in the case of signs imposing access restrictions, an acoustic warning is additionally emitted together with a visual warning in the instrument cluster.

It fits like a second skin, it resists temperatures of up to 1.000 degrees Celsius and it’s mandatory in Formula one. In the new video from Mercedes AMG Petronas, Nico and his chief strategist unveil the importance of the Nomex race overalls currently worn today.

In this second video, Nico takes a look back in time to when Formula One drivers only wore leather caps. Safety improvements over the past few decades have been huge. Today’s helmets are full of state-of-the-art technology protecting driver’s in any situation.

In the third video, what seems to be a simple strap is in fact the number one life saver. Not only in Formula One but on the road as well. What is a high tech device today did not even exist in the early days of Formula One. Nico and Aldo Costa give detailled information about the demands on a Formula One safety harness.

While the world premiere of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will take place in May / June 2013, they have released the first information about the car’s new technology.

Our good friends in Germany have, in advance, some information about the new technology, in the form of handy display graphics. One of the most interesting features is the system including Distronic PLUS with Steering Assist. The system helps the driver to maintain the desired distance – even in stop and go traffic. The basic function of radar-based Distronic PLUS is now extended to the steering wizard, which assists the driver in the lateral control of the vehicle. The camera detects lane markings and vehicles ahead and makes the car drive at slower speeds.

2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Technical Details

The Brake Assist PLUS with crossover wizard provides brake support, even when crossing traffic. Using a new camera and radar sensors, the system helps to prevent rear-end collisions – even when crossing traffic.

2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Technical Details

The new Adaptive Highbeam Assist PLUS on the new S-Class also allows for glare-free high beams using the standard LED headlights. The mechanics in the headlamp module hides the field in the light cone, which is found in other vehicles – in order to prevent glare. The high beam is switched on so permanent, allowing for maximum visibility. A glare from reflective plates will cause the system to selectively dim the lights – the system will work at night on roads without street lighting.

The traffic sign assistant has now been extended and now offers the detection of overtaking and entry.

The Night View Assist PLUS will warn against animals and people -they will be illuminated several times by a Spotlight feature.

The 2013 S-Class will also ise parking assistant to park fully automatic – even the brakes will be taken over by the technology.

2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Technical Details

And last but not least, in the new S-Class, there are not normal bulbs, instead the vehicle is fully equipped with LED technology and, the belts for the passengers now have an airbag..

In short, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be the safest car on the road and pretty much drive itself.

Source: Mercedes-Benz Passion

Daimler has provided relevant authorities with the findings of an investigation which raises questions on the safe usage of the new internationally recognised R1234yf refrigerant. Up to now, the climate-friendly chemical was set to be used worldwide in the automotive industry and was previously perceived to be safe. This was determined by numerous laboratory and crash tests carried out by international vehicle manufacturers and independent institutions.

Despite multiple confirmations of non-critical results, Daimler carried out a series of additional tests on the new refrigerant as part of a new real-life test scenario developed in-house which goes above and beyond the legally prescribed requirements.

In the new real-life test scenario, the refrigerant is dynamically dispersed at high pressure near to hot components of the test vehicle’s exhaust system. This corresponds to a serious head-on collision in which the refrigerant line is severed and the reproducible results demonstrate that the refrigerant, which is otherwise difficult to ignite under laboratory conditions, can indeed prove to be flammable in a hot engine compartment. Similar tests of the current R134a refrigerant did not result in ignition.

Due to the new findings of this study and the high safety demands at Mercedes-Benz, this chemical will not be used in its products. The company therefore wishes to continue to use the proven and safe R134a refrigerant in its vehicles.

Daimler has already informed the relevant authorities of these facts and will also make the results of this investigation available to all relevant associations as well as to other vehicle manufacturers.

For those of you unfamiliar with R1234yf refrigerant, it is a hydrofluoroolefin with the formula CH2=CFCF3. It has been proposed as a replacement for R-134a as a refrigerant in automobile air conditioners.

HFO-1234yf is the first in a new class of refrigerants acquiring a global warming potential (GWP) rating 335 times less than that of R-134a (but still 4 times higher than the alternative substitute R-744) and an atmospheric lifetime of about 400 times shorter. It was developed to meet the European directive 2006/40/EC that went into effect in 2011 requiring that all new car platforms for sale in Europe use a refrigerant in its AC system with a GWP below 150.

HFO-1234yf, which has a GWP of 4, could be used as a “near drop-in replacement” for R-134a, the current product used in automobile AC systems, which has a GWP of 1430. This means that automakers would not have to make significant modifications in assembly lines or in vehicle system designs to accommodate the product. HFO-1234yf has the lowest switching cost for automakers among the currently proposed alternatives, although the initial cost of the product is much higher than that of R134a. The product could be handled in repair shops in the same way as R-134a, although it would require different, specialized equipment to perform the service. One of the reasons for that is the mild flammability of HFO-1234yf. Another issue affecting the compatibility between HFO-1234yf and R-134a-based systems is the choice of lubricating oil.Current oil is showing signs of damage to plastic, aluminium and issues with health, mouth dryness, rash, sore throat among others affects.

Shortly after confirmation from automakers that HFO-1234yf would be adopted as a replacement of R134a automotive air-conditioning refrigerant, Honeywell and DuPont announced that they will jointly build a manufacturing facility to produce HFO-1234yf which is in operation now. Although others claim to be able to make and sell HFO-1234yf, Honeywell and DuPont hold most or all of the patents registered for HFO-1234yf.

On July 23, 2010, General Motors announced that it will introduce HFO-1234yf in 2013 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models in the U.S.

Although the product is classified slightly flammable by ASHRAE, several years of testing by SAE proved that the product could not be ignited under conditions normally experienced by a vehicle. In addition several independent authorities evaluated the safety of the product in vehicles and some of them concluded that it was as safe to use as R134a, the product in use in cars today. In the atmosphere, HFO-1234yf degrades to trifluoroacetic acid, which is a mildly phytotoxic strong organic acid with no known degradation mechanism in water. In case of fire it can release highly corrosive and toxic hydrogen fluoride.

Due out later this year, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has received non-stop speculation over what chanes will be made. One safety change we belive will be added to Mercedes’ flagship is the Beltbag. It is an inflatable seat-belt for rear passenges, minimizing the strain on the ribcage in head-on collisions.

The Beltbag deploys when crash sensors detect a severe frontal impact, the airbag control unit will then trigger deployment and inflation of the Beltbag. A gas generator then inflates the multi-layered belt strap with Velcro seams to nearly three times its normal width. The resulting larger surface area is able to better distribute the force acting on the seat occupant, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

The Beltbag can be used in exactly the same way as a conventional seat belt. The belt strap’s design is different from that of the standard belt though, and received top marks in practical trials for being extremely comfortable to wear and for its extra-soft belt strap edge.

“Mercedes-Benz is pursuing its safety initiative in the rear of vehicles with the Beltbag,” comments Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rodolfo Schöneburg, Head of Passive Safety and Vehicle Functions at Mercedes-Benz Cars. “After all, the excellent standard of safety offered by Mercedes-Benz doesn’t just apply to all model series, but to all seats, too.”

Just like the active seat-belt buckle recently presented by Mercedes-Benz that is likewise earmarked for inclusion in a luxury model, the Beltbag was developed with a particular view toward new markets. There, the occupancy rate in the rear is as much as 30 percent, making it much higher than in Europe. By introducing the Beltbag, Mercedes-Benz is further expanding the safety system for passengers in the rear – in contrast to many other manufacturers, seat belts in the second row of Mercedes-Benz models already come equipped with belt tensioners and belt force limiters. It is not planned to introduce the Beltbag for the front occupants, as airbags are already included in the front on all models as a supplementary restraint system.

Because dummy measurement technology is not capable of quantifying the benefits resulting from a wider belt strap, such as the lower force exerted on occupants, the safety experts at Mercedes have also been working intensely with virtual human models, as such computer-generated models make it possible to obtain detailed findings on the biomechanical strain during a collision.

Active seat-belt buckle is a new innovation for the rear seats which is currently under development by safety pioneer Mercedes-Benz and will shortly go into series production in one of the Stuttgart manufacturer’s luxury-segment models. An electric motor extends and retracts the seat belt buckle automatically. In this way, the belt slack in the area of the pelvis and thorax can be reduced and passengers are secured more firmly in sideways and lengthways directions. Active seat-belt buckle fits in with Mercedes-Benz’s integrated safety concept. In keeping with an all-embracing approach to safety, this concept covers all phases of automotive safety: from safety during driving through safety in hazardous situations and protection in the event of an accident to minimisation of the consequences of accidents.

The innovation is typically Mercedes-Benz, improving safety and comfort in one. Fastening seat belts in the rear is also made much simpler: the seat belt buckle emerges from the upholstery when the rear doors are opened and is provided with an illuminated insertion slot. Simplifying use of the seat belt in this manner may increase the percentage of rear passengers who buckle up. The innovation also makes it easier to assist children or people who require help in fastening their seat belts.

Active seat-belt buckle is also integrated in the PRE-SAFE® preventive safety system. This means that whenever PRE-SAFE® becomes active in critical driving situations or when a critical distance from other objects is detected, reversible belt tensioning is also effected in the rear via the active seat-belt buckle function. The restraint system and the passengers are thus better prepared for a possible accident situation. Active seat-belt buckle complements the pyrotechnic belt tensioning which has featured as standard on all outer rear seats in Mercedes-Benz vehicles for many years now. This pyrotechnic system is triggered in the event of actual impact.

The Mercedes safety experts have developed active seat-belt buckle using detailed computer models of the human body, as dummies are only able to simulate the human pelvic system along very rough lines.

“Active seat-belt buckle is another element of our ‘PRE-SAFE®’ concept, which is intended to provide our customers with optimum protection in real accident scenarios,” stresses Prof. Dr. Ing. Rodolfo Schöneburg, Head of Passive Safety and Vehicle Functions at Mercedes-Benz Cars. “After all, we aim to offer a high standard of safety not only in all model series, but also in all seats.” Active seat-belt buckle has also been developed with an eye on new markets in which the level of occupied rear seats is up to 30 percent – markedly higher than in Europe. “In the rear of premium saloons in particular, passengers tend to sit in particularly relaxed positions in the generous space which is available,” explains Schöneburg. “Active seat-belt buckle as part of PRE-SAFE® unlocks the full potential of the on-board restraint systems.”

Integration in the vehicle’s PRE-SAFE® system

Active seat-belt buckle is a moving belt buckle which can be extended by 70 millimetres and retracted by 40 millimetres via an electric motor. The belt buckle is attached via a cable to a spindle nut which runs on a spindle, translating the electric motor’s rotary movement into a linear movement.

The following functions are carried out by means of this movement:

Seat belt reminder/easier fastening of the seat belt: Active seat-belt buckle is provided with an illuminated insertion slot, attracting the occupants’ attention to the buckle. Particularly in the dark, the belt buckle is easier to find and to connect with the seat belt tongue. In addition, the belt buckle is extended by 70 millimetres when occupants enter the rear of the vehicle, to facilitate fastening of the seat belt. In extended state the belt buckle is more readily accessible and it is easier to insert the belt tongue. Both functions are activated when the doors are opened by passengers entering the rear of the vehicle.

Minimised belt slack: after the belt has been inserted, the belt buckle returns to its original position. This reduces any belt slack in the area of the pelvis and thorax, and the belt fits correctly in the pelvis area.

PRE-SAFE® function for rear occupants: Active seat-belt buckle is fully integrated in the vehicle’s PRE-SAFE® system. Whenever PRE-SAFE® becomes active in critical driving situations or when a critical distance from other objects is detected, reversible belt tensioning is also effected in the rear via the active seat-belt buckle function. The restraint system and the passengers are thus better prepared for a possible accident system. In contrast to its extended position to facilitate fastening of the seat belt, the belt buckle is retracted by approx. 40 millimetres. This reversible function increases the belt tensioning on the occupant by up to 80 millimetres. In addition, the belt buckle branches off at a lower point at the occupant’s hip. This reduces the risk of the pelvis pushing through under the belt. Securing the occupants more effectively in this way reduces the stress to which they are exposed in the event of an accident. Active seat-belt buckle is set to replace the pyrotechnic belt tensioning which has featured as standard in Mercedes-Benz vehicles for many years now. This pyrotechnic system is triggered in the event of actual impact.

POST-SAFE functionality: to facilitate the rescue of occupants and to assist rescue personnel or the occupants themselves in unbuckling the seat belts, the belt buckle is extended once again as soon as the doors are opened by rescue personnel or the occupants themselves after the system has detected a crash and verified that the vehicle is stationary, provided that the on-board electrical system is intact. The raised belt buckle position allows better access from inside the vehicle, while illumination of the buckle draws attention to the belt’s opening mechanism.

In keeping with Mercedes-Benz’s integral safety concept, active seat-belt buckle covers all four areas of automotive safety – “Safe driving”, “In the event of danger”, “In an accident” and “After an accident”.

Virtual human model as an unconventional development tool

The Mercedes-Benz safety experts have developed active seat-belt buckle with the aid of virtual human models, which provide a clearer picture of what happens to a vehicle’s occupants in an accident than crash-test dummies. These digital models simulate not only the human body’s outer form, but also its internal structures, such as bones and soft tissue.

“All the crucial biological features of humans – joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones – can only be simulated in very rough terms with dummies,” explains Dr Hakan Ipek, expert for virtual human models at Mercedes-Benz. “Some seated positions, such as when a rear passenger is dozing and the belt does not pass over the pelvis in the correct manner, simply cannot be recreated with a dummy,” he adds by way of example.

With virtual human models, the biomechanical characteristics of the human body are simulated in detail on a computer, enabling examination of the stress to which the model is exposed in a virtual crash test.

The new “Thanks, Airbag” B-Class spot is a declaration of love to the airbag. For 30 years the airbag has been making driving safer and saving lives. In the future the airbag will have less to do, thanks to the COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class may be considered entry level, but its safety features are anything but.

Click here for an in-depth look at the 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class