The integral safety concept from Mercedes-Benz divides vehicle safety into four phases:
Virtually no other area inspires Mercedes-Benz engineers more than researching new safety technologies. They passed their first key safety milestone as early as the 1950s with the development of the passenger safety cell, invented by Béla Barényi. Today it is one of numerous elements of an integrated safety concept that edges Mercedes-Benz vehicles 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.
Many accidents can be prevented right up to a few seconds before impact. This very short period of time is at the heart of the PRE-SAFE® system. Mercedes-Benz first introduced the system in 2002 and has continued to develop it ever since. PRE-SAFE® can sense critical situations and prevent accidents as well reduce their after-effects.
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.
To reduce consequential damage after an accident and support the work of the rescue services, a number of different actions are initiated, depending on the type and severity of the accident:
Optimum protection: The engine can be turned off automatically and the fuel supply can be cut off.
Safe 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.
Making escape easier: the door locking mechanism can be automatically released.
Measure to aid rescue: integral crash joints between the wing and the door can make opening the doors after a frontal collision easier.