Thoughts in Passing
Brian Armstead
 
Safety First
The Best Reason to Own a Mercedes-Benz
 
There is unquestionable prestige associated with a luxury car purchase, and the purchase of a vehicle that wears the three-pointed star certainly will turn heads and garner admiration. But luxury and prestige aside, Mercedes-Benz has a long history of occupant and pedestrian protection.

I think back to my purchase 12 years ago of my 1994 E320 Cabriolet. I wanted a convertible, but with a then 8-year-old daughter, I wanted the ride to be as safe as possible even without the structural protection a fixed roof offers. Plus, I am 6 feet 9 inches tall, so if I were in a rollover accident, I would not want my giraffe-like structure to be the rollover “protection;” I wanted it built into the car. There were few manufacturers who offered rollover protection in 2000, and none of them were domestic. The E320 Cabriolet features solid roll hoops that pop up when sensors determine a rollover accident is imminent. I certainly feel an extra sense of protection when I’m cruising in the Cab.

So I always buy my vehicles based on safety, and you should, too. There are many safe models on the market today, but the beauty of a Mercedes-Benz purchase is that you don’t have to wonder whether your vehicle is up to snuff safety-wise, as a full complement of safety equipment is standard or available on every 2013 Mercedes-Benz vehicle. And Mercedes has been an industry leader for quite some time now.

Researching this article, I discovered a number of safety “firsts” for our marque.

• 1931: Fully independent suspension was featured first on the Mercedes 170, allowing each wheel to respond individually to road imperfections.
• 1939: Safety-cage construction, featuring a rigid floor, side-impact protection and a collapsible steering column first used on a Mercedes test vehicle.
• 1949: The conical-pin door lock was developed, designed to help prevent doors from opening in an accident.
• 1951: The safety-cage concept was refined in the new Pontons to include defined “crumple zones,” designed to deform to protect vehicle occupants. This concept later became the industry standard in Europe and North America.
• 1958: Crash testing under controlled scenarios, much like the crash tests you see from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, was a part of development of every new Mercedes.
• 1963: The gated shifter, introduced on the SL, facilitates precise forward-gear choices without the need to press a release button. This design is now an industry standard in console-mounted shift levers.
• 1970: The Anti-lock Braking System (widely known as ABS) is developed. It reached production vehicles in 1978. The system is still the cornerstone of modern Mercedes safety technology, including electronic traction and stability control, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist (more on these later).
• 1995: The Electronic Stability Program (ESP on Mercedes products, with a variety of different names amongst manufacturers), perhaps the greatest safety innovation besides the three-point seatbelt and airbag, helps the driver maintain control during emergency maneuvers, and is now required by law on all new cars.
• 2002: Pre-Safe® is introduced. The system detected imminent collisions and automatically tightened front seat belts, adjusted front head restraints, and closed windows and the sunroof to maximize occupant protection. In 2006, Distronic Plus was added with the Pre-Safe Brake, using radar to scan for stopped traffic and alerting the driver of the same. The system also fully pressurizes the brake system, so when the driver does hit the brakes, maximum braking power is available.
• 2010: Attention Assist measures more than 70 parameters in the first few minutes of a drive. If the system later senses the driver is not attentive, a “Time for a Rest?” message and coffee-cup icon appear on the gauge cluster.
• 2013: A Continuing commitment to safety is illustrated on all new vehicles. The new GL-Class, for example, is a rolling showcase of this commitment. 

For instance, Crosswind Stabilization uses sophisticated computer parameters to sense when strong crosswinds are compromising the GL’s intended path. Tall SUVs like the GL are susceptible to these winds. One trip across the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland should prove the mettle of this innovative system.

In addition, the optional Active Curve System is a semi-active suspension that uses electronic sensors, an engine-driven hydraulic pump and electronically controlled hydraulic valves to reduce body lean. Instead of the conventional torsion-bar suspension at the front and rear, the stabilizer bars in the system are essentially split in the center and connected to rotary hydraulic actuators.

Whenever the vehicle is in a curve, the actuators counteract lateral pitching, reducing the natural tendency of the body to roll and lean in curves. Lower side forces means increased stability and driving pleasure, especially at high speeds, as well as less shifting of occupants.

On a recent curving back-road test drive of the new GL, I found the system capable of keeping the big SUV composed at sports-car speeds, another achievement from the brilliant minds that design, engineer and build our favorite vehicles.

Other M-B systems on the GL include Active Lane Keeping Assist, which alerts the driver by simulating rumble-strip vibrations in the steering wheel if the car drifts from its lane without the turn signals on. It operates at speeds above 37 mph via a system that recognizes lane markings, thanks to a small camera in the windshield and a computer that analyzes the video images. The system incorporates an intervention feature, in which ESP braking automatically helps correct your course if you do not heed the initial haptic warning.

Using radar sensors, Active Blind Spot Assist monitors blind spots both behind and to the side of the vehicle. Whenever a turn signal is activated and a vehicle is in a blind spot, you get visual and audible warnings. Active Blind Spot Assist also incorporates the ESP intervention feature, which automatically helps correct the car’s course if you do not heed the initial warning.

Using a dedicated radar sensor, the new Collision Prevention Assist monitors the distance to vehicles directly ahead and to stationary objects. If the system senses an imminent collision, it alerts the driver with a warning beep and flashing light on the dash. The system also networks with standard Brake Assist to prepare for emergency braking so that maximum power assist is available as soon as the driver applies the brakes.

We’re told that all of these safety systems and several new ones will be part of the new S-Class to be introduced in 2013.

Across the entire Mercedes-Benz model range, you can be sure your new or used vehicle purchase will have the most up-to-date safety available when the car was produced, always a hallmark of the purchase of a Mercedes-Benz automobile.

Brian Armstead is a nationally published independent automotive journalist and active member of the Greater Washington Section.