Mercedes-Benz looks into the future of car safety

These systems have the ability to make predictive interpretations of critical driving situations and then warn drivers or even intervene if there is imminent danger.

"Several years ago, Mercedes--Benz introduced PRE-SAFE®, which gave the vehicle certain 'reflexes', so to speak," said Johannes Fritz, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes Car Group, Middle East.

"In the future, we will also give cars the ability to 'see' and 'think'. It's always been a matter of policy to develop vehicles capable of withstanding the most severe crash tests. However, it makes much more sense to prevent accidents from occurring in the first place which is exactly what Mercedes-Benz is working on in the interest of all traffic participants."

Mercedes-Benz will continue to base the development of its safety systems on real-life accident statistics and data from its own accident research activities.

Other issues to be addressed in the development of new driver assistance systems include driver fatigue, speed, and lane departure, all of which are also among the most frequent causes of accidents. Mercedes-Benz will also further improve occupant protection through preventive measures and by networking active and passive safety systems.

Systems developed by Mercedes-Benz have been helping to improve road safety for many years. The invention of ESP® alone, which reduces the danger of skidding and makes it easier for drivers to handle critical situations, has led to a sustained improvement in traffic safety.

The most recent German accident statistics confirm that since ESP® was introduced as standard equipment, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars have been involved much less frequently in accidents than models of other brands.
Since 1999, the share of driver-related collisions in all accidents involving newly registered Mercedes models has declined by more than 42 percent. Studies show that more than 20,000 accidents could be prevented each year in if all passenger cars were equipped with ESP®.

The Electronic Stability Program has now joined seatbelts, airbags, and ABS as one of the most important safety systems in modern passenger cars. Still, only around 40 percent of all new cars in are currently equipped with this technology.

The Brake Assist (BAS) system, which Mercedes-Benz began offering in 1996 (the world's first brand to do so), has also proved to be a very effective in preventing accidents. Following the introduction of BAS as standard equipment, the share of total accidents accounted for by rear-end collisions fell by eight percent for Mercedes vehicles, but remained nearly unchanged for all other brands.

A new safety system already developed by Mercedes-Benz as a prototype utilises a stereo camera mounted on the inside of the windscreen that recognises cars, cyclists and pedestrians approaching the vehicle from the side. By monitoring the movement, distance, and speed of the object, the system is able to predict its probable direction of motion and calculate the likelihood of an accident.

Another video-based Mercedes assistance system will remind drivers in the future to obey speed limits by 'reading' traffic signs and transmitting their images to a cockpit display in the vehicle. This technology will be used further down the line to also register stop signs and traffic lights.

"Mercedes-Benz will continue to base the development of its driver assistance systems on real-life accident statistics, and will utilise new technologies to focus more strongly on the phase immediately preceding an accident," added Fritz. "By working on these and other such innovations, Mercedes-Benz is continuing its long-term commitment to improving road safety."