Vehicle Safety

The safety both of passenger cars and commercial vehicles is of particular concern to DaimlerChrysler and is one of the manufacturer’s core competencies. No other producer worldwide invests more in the development of life-saving driver assistance and safety systems. For more than fifty years, DaimlerChrysler’s developments have led the way in vehicle safety for passenger cars, trucks, vans and buses. Figure 36

DaimlerChrysler regards its commitment to increasing road safety as a responsibility both toward society as a whole and toward the drivers of its vehicles, their passengers and all other road users. This is why the Group is committed to bringing the “Vision of Accident-free Driving” step by step to reality.

As part of this initiative for the “Vision of Accident-free Driving” the Group endorses the European Union’s aim to cut the number of road fatalities by half by the year 2010 despite drastically increasing traffic volumes.

With its PRO-SAFE TM safety philosophy, the Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars unit is pursuing an integrated, strategic approach to safety. This comprises four safety-relevant points of emphasis: safe driving and accident prevention, managing hazardous situations, and protection both during the course of a collision and thereafter.

Intelligent assistance systems of the future will be able to analyze complex situations in advance. The driver will thus be given the time he needs to react – before an accident occurs. To attain this objective, Mercedes-Benz is concentrating on the points listed in Figure 37.

In designing its safety systems, Mercedes-Benz is guided by accidents that occur in real traffic: The data made available from 38 years of accident research demonstrate where improvements or supplements to existing systems are appropriate and necessary. These endeavors go beyond merely complying with legislation and attaining favorable ratings. The aim is to achieve “real-life safety” – vehicle safety relevant to everyday hazardous situations encountered in road traffic. -Mercedes-Benz thus conducts a large number of different crash tests, for example, in order to carry out differentiated analysis of various types of collisions.

As in the past, Mercedes-Benz once more launched many new features for enhanced safety on the market in 2006. The automatic partial braking provided by PRE-SAFE® (available for the first time in the CL- and S-Class) and the Intelligent Light System, introduced in the E-Class, are just two of many examples that aptly illustrate the company’s pioneering role. Over the years, many systems first introduced to the market by Mercedes-Benz have been adopted by other manufacturers as standard features for their vehicles – for example the air-bag with seat belt tensioner, the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®). It is not least due to the application of systems developed by Mercedes-Benz that many collisions could either be prevented entirely or their consequences mitigated; this has also relieved the financial burden on national economies due to road accidents. According to a study carried out by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the airbag saved 14,200 lives in the U.S. from 1987 to 2003. The proportion of accidents involving Mercedes-Benz passenger cars fell by 40 percent thanks to standard application of ESP®. p.57, Figure 40 DaimlerChrysler’s innovative safety developments thus generate additional benefits not only for its own customers, but ultimately for society as a whole.

Safety components in vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz fleet are constantly examined for possible improvements and are modified accordingly. The crash-active NECK-PRO head restraint, for example, was added in the course of the ongoing product life cycles of the C-, E- and CLK-Class models; this was also the case with the PRE-SAFE® system introduced in the S-Class (2002) and the E-Class (2006).

Mercedes-Benz received numerous awards for its safety features in 2006. In the U.S., for example, the ML 350 was awarded five stars both in the independent NCAP (frontal impact) crash test program and in the SINCAP lateral impact test, besides being chosen as the “Top Safety Pick” by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The B-Class received five stars in the European NCAP. DaimlerChrysler won the 2006 Genius Allianz Safety Award for the development of Brake Assist ten years ago.

The field of safety still offers much potential. Mercedes-Benz will thus present further innovations in the years to come; this will bring the “Vision of Accident-free Driving” a step closer to reality.

Chrysler Group. Safety is a top priority in design, development and production at Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge. It is the company’s aim to manufacture vehicles that perform well in everyday operation; this also extends to occupant safety in accidents as well as the development of safety technologies that help the driver prevent an accident from occurring.

Chrysler vehicles consistently perform very well in independent studies. The Chrysler Pacifica, for example, emerged as the best Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) in the government-conducted U.S. rollover protection tests. Chrysler vehicles also are regularly awarded top grades in the frontal impact ratings of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). On the other hand, a vehicle’s behavior in a collision cannot be predicted on the basis of one test result alone; a large number of results are therefore analyzed to constantly raise the level of safety. Chrysler was a pioneer in the installation of safety technologies in North America, such as highly advanced airbags or lateral protection and accident prevention aids such as the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®), to name just a few examples.

Commercial vehicles. According to experts, DaimlerChrysler produces the world’s safest vehicles in its commercial vehicle market segments such as trucks, buses and vans. This is supported by a significant brand promise.

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Nevertheless, safety technology will only be put to appropriate use by transport operators as long as it proves economical. Safety technologies, their universal application and their economy thus constitute an integral whole; this is a prime focus of DaimlerChrysler’s attention as the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.

The company develops systems that help the driver to prevent accidents in critical situations or to mitigate their consequences – especially rear-end collisions or accidents caused by a vehicle veering out of its lane of traffic. To this end, Mercedes-Benz has introduced pioneering driver assistance systems on the market. Figure 39 Further systems were added in 2006, such as Adaptive Cruise Control, the Lane Assistant for touring buses, and Active Brake Assist for the

Mercedes-Benz Actros truck – in case of an imminent rear-end collision, this system initiates an emergency braking maneuver.

Wherever these systems are not installed as a standard feature, DaimlerChrysler has been offering them for trucks, for instance, in a package priced one-third lower than if purchased individually. As a passive safety measure for the protection of the driver and other road users, the company has developed crash-optimized cabs, belt tensioners, front underride protection elements and improved load securing systems for trucks.

Safety technology must be controllable for the driver, without divesting him of his responsibility. Safety is thus not merely a matter of technology and operating design, but also of training: For almost twenty years, DaimlerChrysler has been offering training and driving safety courses for professional truck and bus drivers. Together with the German technical inspection association DEKRA, DaimlerChrysler has initiated a “Safety Plus” certification for vans and trucks. “Safety Plus” is awarded in two versions – one for the safety characteristics of the vehicle itself, and the other for drivers with appropriate training. A number of insurance companies have acknowledged this measure with reduced premiums.

DaimlerChrysler has also recently won several awards for its innovative safety technology. The Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE Ü, for instance, has been chosen as the “Bus of the Year 2007” by an international panel of specialist omnibus journalists; and the Mercedes-Benz Actros Safety Truck, which is fitted with Mercedes-Benz Brake Assist, has been chosen for the “Gelber Engel 2007” award of the automotive association ADAC and the “Safety Award 2007” of the Belgian Association of Motoring and Commercial Vehicle Journalists.

Enhanced road safety, reduced fatalities and increased economy – attaining these ambitious goals requires the concerted efforts of many sectors of society. As the leading producer of commercial vehicles, DaimlerChrysler has taken the initiative and created the appropriate basis with active and passive safety technology. The trucks, vans, and buses produced by the Group demonstrate the high levels of safety already attainable today.