Cycle & Carriage - The M-Class Off Roader

The Integral Safety Concept from Mercedes-Benz divides vehicle safety into four phases:

Virtually no other area inspires the Mercedes-Benz engineers to produce such consistently impressive results as much as research into new safety technologies. The first important safety milestone was reached back in the 1950s with the development of the passenger safety cell, invented by Béla Barényi. Today it is just one of many components of the Integral Safety Concept which edges Mercedes-Benz vehicles ever closer to our vision of accident-free driving.

Phase 1: safe driving

The majority of accidents start long before the actual collision: with a lapse in concentration, poor visibility or hazards which cannot be anticipated. That's why the Mercedes-Benz safety concept employs a range of measures to support safe driving in everyday operation and to help you bring critical situations under control.

Adaptive brake lights The adaptive brake lights warn vehicles behind that emergency braking is taking place. If the driver makes an emergency stop from a speed greater than 50 km/h, the brake lights flash in order to warn traffic behind. And if the vehicle comes to a stop from a speed greater than 70 km/h, the hazard warning lamps are switched on automatically. During emergency braking the adaptive brake light warns following traffic of the danger via a flashing brake light.
Active Lane Keeping Assist (optional)[1] The Active Lane Keeping Assist continuously analyses the lane markings on the road. If it detects that the vehicle is unintentionally drifting over a line or marking, an audible warning sounds. If the driver still does not react, the Active Lane Keeping Assist system can responds with an active braking intervention.
Active Blind Spot Assist (optional)[1] The Active Blind Spot Assist uses radar and monitors the blind spot areas to the left, right and rear of the vehicle. If a vehicle is detected within the monitored range, a warning symbol is displayed in the driver’s exterior mirror. Should the driver fail to notice it, an audible warning sounds. If he starts to change lane anyway, the ESP® system can intervene.
ATTENTION ASSIST The ATTENTION ASSIST function is particularly helpful on long journeys and when driving at night; the system warns the driver if it detects signs of failing attention and increasing weariness. Between 80 and 180 km/h, ATTENTION ASSIST warns the driver visually and audibly as soon as it detects any signs of drowsiness or inattention. The background: sensors analyse driving behaviour and can detect any changes compared with the previously determined individual driver profile.
DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control including BAS PLUS Brake Assist and (optional) PRE-SAFE® brake[1] DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control helps the driver to maintain a specified (timed) distance from the vehicle in front when travelling at speeds of 0 to 200 km/h. In an emergency braking situation the BAS PLUS Brake Assist system can shorten the stopping distance. The system provides the brake pressure necessary for the situation in the event of danger. The PRE-SAFE® brake can help to prevent collisions. This feature issues three warning tones to alert the driver when it senses an immediate risk of a rear-end collision. If the driver does not respond, the system initiates autonomous partial braking 1.6 seconds before the calculated collision moment, decelerating the vehicle with around 40 percent of the maximum braking power (4 m/s2), providing a further, clearly perceptible prompt to take action. Should the driver fail to react to this haptic signal too, the PRE-SAFE® brake will if necessary trigger an autonomous full brake application.
Light package includes the Intelligent Light System with Adaptive Highbeam Assist (optional)[2] The Light Package incorporates the Intelligent Light System, which improves visibility in dark conditions by adjusting its bi-xenon headlamps to the current driving situation. Illumination is wider on a country road, for example, and on motorways the range is significantly increased. The system also features enhanced fog lamps as well as active light and cornering light functions and Adaptive Highbeam Assist. This helps you to detect pedestrians, cyclists or other obstacles at an earlier stage than with conventional low-beam headlamps. The system further optimises road illumination. Using a camera the headlamp range adjustment and high beams are regulated in such a way that the road is illuminated as best as possible, regardless of the driving situation and the preceding motorists. The high beam automatically switches on when no other road users are detected. A special feature is the gentle transition from one type of light to the other without an abrupt change in intensity.
Night View Assist Plus (optional)[2] Night View Assist Plus improves visibility under dark ambient conditions and if oncoming vehicles cause dazzling. A camera films the road illuminated by an anti-dazzle infrared headlamp and transmits a grey-scale image to the multifunction display. This helps the driver to more quickly and easily recognize obstacles, poorly lit road users and the road layout when there is oncoming traffic.

Phase 2: in critical situations

Mercedes-Benz stands for automotive safety. That’s why our vehicles support their passengers even in critical driving situations, so that well-nigh every drive is a good one.

Brake Assist BAS PLUS (optional)[1] In an emergency braking situation the BAS PLUS Brake Assist system can help shorten the stopping distance. The system provides the brake pressure necessary for the situation when danger is detected.
PRE-SAFE® occupant protection system The PRE-SAFE® occupant protection system can recognise critical driving situations and, if necessary, pre-emptively activate reversible safety systems to help reduce the risk of injury to the vehicle occupants. This is based on PRE-SAFE® continuously monitoring sensor data from systems such as ESP® and BAS and identifying driving situations such as oversteer/understeer and emergency stops. If the typical characteristics of a critical driving situation are identified, safety systems can respond within a fraction of a second. The electronic belt tensioners are activated, the electrically adjustable front-passenger seat (only in conjunction with Memory Package) is moved to a more "favourable" crash position, and the side windows and (optional) panoramic sliding sunroof are closed automatically.
PRE-SAFE® Brake (optional)[1] The PRE-SAFE® brake can help prevent collisions. This feature issues an audible warning to alert the driver when it senses an immediate risk of a rear-end collision. If the driver does not respond, the system initiates autonomous partial braking 1.6 seconds before the calculated collision moment, decelerating the vehicle with around 40 percent of maximum braking power (4 m/s2), providing a further, clearly perceptible prompt to take action. Should the driver fail to react to this haptic signal too, the PRE-SAFE® brake will if necessary trigger an autonomous full brake application.

Phase 3: in an accident

Cars from Mercedes-Benz have a host of safety systems to prevent accidents. Should the worst come to the worst, however, a number of different safety measures are activated to give the best possible protection for all the vehicle occupants.

Airbags If the system registers a collision, a sophisticated system of airbags can come to the rescue. The driver and front passenger can be protected during a head-on collision, depending on the predicted severity of the impact, by standard front airbags which deploy in two stages. Both front seats are also equipped with sidebags for the driver and front passenger (combined thorax/pelvis bags). The standard-specification kneebag can protect the driver in the knee contact area with the dashboard. Sidebags are available as an option for the second seat row. Should the system identify a side collision or roll-over, windowbags can expand like a curtain to protect all seat rows.
Active bonnet (pedestrian protection system) The active bonnet can reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians and cyclists. If the system identifies a collision, the rear section of the active bonnet rises up by approximately five centimetres using spring force. This produces additional deformation space to absorb the impact energy.
Impact protection The body provides all-round optimum protection in the event of a collision. The safety-related measures at a glance: Front and rear ends with major deformation potential. Stable passenger cell with crumple zones in front end and rear. The jacket tube of the steering column can yield by 100 millimetres in the event of a frontal collision, thus providing more space for the driver. The underbody structure is around 250 mm higher than a conventional passenger car, ensuring the occupants are positioned above the critical impact zone in the event of a side impact. Centre tunnel, longitudinal and cross members form a sturdy structure. High-strength sidewall structure. The rear provides a large crumple zone as the tank is positioned in front of the rear axle.

Phase 4: after an accident

To prevent further damage/injury following an accident, and to assist in rescuing the occupants, various measures can be initiated, depending on the nature of the accident and severity of impact:

Optimum protection: the engine can be turned off automatically and the fuel supply can be cut off.
Conspicuous lighting: the hazard warning lights and emergency interior lights can be automatically activated, so as to reduce the risk of subsequent accidents and to make finding the vehicle easier.
Getting out in an emergency: the door locking mechanism can be automatically released..
Measures to aid rescue: integral crash joints between the wing and the door make opening the doors after a frontal collision easier.

The Rescue Guidelines for emergency services and rescue cards developed by Mercedes-Benz as a source of information for rescue services are available on the internet around the world and in multiple languages.