Assistant, please brake

Assistant, please brake

According to accident statistics from the European Commission, almost a fifth of all road deaths in the EU in 2020 were pedestrians. 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. A 2022 study by the American organization Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that vehicles with pedestrian emergency braking systems have a 27 percent lower rate of accidents involving pedestrians than vehicles without the corresponding technology. With its currently more than 40 active assistance systems, Mercedes-Benz makes a decisive contribution to increasing the safety of all road users. Active Brake Assist with pedestrian detection in particular has been helping to reduce accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists for many years. The system can provide visual and acoustic warnings of an impending collision with vehicles ahead, crossing or oncoming vehicles. If the person behind the wheel brakes too weakly, the system can provide support according to the situation and increase the braking force. If the driver shows no reaction at all, Active Brake Assist initiates emergency braking.

In today's vehicle generation, Active Brake Assist uses camera and/or radar-based sensors to detect pedestrians and cyclists in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel. If an impending possible risk of collision with this so-called vulnerable road user is detected, the required braking force is calculated in order to be able to avoid a possible collision or minimize its severity. Mercedes-Benz has now reached another milestone for active safety: More than 10 million of all Mercedes-Benz cars sold worldwide since 2012 are equipped with the pedestrian emergency braking system. Mercedes-Benz introduced the first brake assistant (BAS) back in 1996. In 2005, this brake assistant with radar technology was expanded into a predictive system. Just a year later, the experts combined the further developed Distronic Plus distance control system and the Bas Plus brake assistant to form the Pre-Safe Brake with autonomous partial braking. The important feature of pedestrian detection was added in 2013 when it was first introduced in the then E-Class. In 2016, the pedestrian emergency braking system was installed as standard equipment for the first time as part of the introduction of the new E-Class. Since 2021, Active Brake Assist has been standard equipment in all new Mercedes-Benz car series.