The record-breaking
world champion in SimCity: Last week Michael
Schumacher tested the safety systems of the new C-Class at the Mercedes Technology Center in Sindelfingen.
SimCity is a secluded test site where new assistance systems can be tested.
Schumacher is a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, and a development partner
for Mercedes‑Benz Intelligent Drive. This is the collective name the company
has given to the networked assistance systems that relieve driver workload and
improve traffic safety.
"Nobody is able to give 100% concentration all the time
over a longer period to cope with the car and traffic situation. Sometimes just
a moment of inattention is enough. And that is precisely why I support
intelligent assistance systems for passenger cars," Schumacher says about
Intelligent Drive. The record-breaking Formula 1 world champion has given his
support to traffic safety projects for many years. "Assistance systems are
never distracted and never get tired. Assistance systems have no delay for
reaction time. They can save lives."
"With Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive we have ushered
in a new era of active safety, and are once again confirming our position as a
safety pioneer," says Jochen Hermann, chief engineer responsible for
assistance systems and active safety at Mercedes-Benz. "Preventing
accidents and minimising their consequences: this is the holistic approach
taken by the Mercedes-Benz safety philosophy, which the company refers to
collectively as 'Real Life Safety'."
Mercedes-Benz is consistently pursuing this strategy with
the C-Class, which has numerous new assistance systems and significantly
extended functions. Comfort and safety are enhanced at the same time. The new
functions use the same sensor system – a new stereo camera and multi-stage
radar sensors.
Schumacher and Hermann intensively discussed the philosophy
behind the systems: How rapidly and for how long should the visual warning be
given?
How intensive should the acoustic warning be? And at what
point should the automatic lane-correcting brake application intervene? The
central focus of Schumacher's test drives with the C-Class was on assistance
systems such as
* COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS. At speeds of 30 km/h and above, it issues a visual
warning if the gap between the driver's vehicle and the vehicle ahead is too
small, with an additional acoustic warning at 7 km/h and above if there is a
danger of collision, and provides an adaptive braking assistance function
which, depending on the situation, can boost braking if the driver is not
braking hard enough. If the driver does not react, now, for the first time in a
series-production system, a collision with slower or stopping vehicles ahead
when driving at speeds of up to 200 km/h can be prevented or at least minimised
by automatic, autonomous partial braking. The system also brakes in response to
stationary vehicles at a speed of up to 50 km/h, and is able to prevent
rear-end collisions at speeds of up to 40 km/h.
* DISTRONIC PLUS
with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot helps the driver to maintain a
suitable distance, even in stop-and-go traffic. The steering assistance feature
is new and helps the driver with lateral control of the vehicle, even on gentle
bends, and offers a traffic jam vehicle following function.
* The PRE-SAFE®
Brake provides autonomous braking in the absence of a driver reaction. In
typical urban driving scenarios, it can prevent collisions with pedestrians or
stationary vehicles at speeds of up to approx. 50 km/h; or, at speeds of up to
approx. 70 km/h reduce the impact of such collisions.
* Brake Assist PLUS
with Cross-Traffic Assist can, depending on the situation, boost the
braking strength applied by the driver, if necessary up to full brake
application and, for the first time, can also react to crossing traffic and
pedestrians.
* Active Blind Spot
Assist issues a visual and - if the indicator is activated - an acoustic
warning of the presence of a vehicle in the blind spot area; and can prevent a
potential side-on collision by applying the brakes unilaterally at the last
moment.
* Active Lane Keeping
Assist warns against unintentional drifting across a lane through
vibrations of the steering wheel; and if the vehicle actually crosses a lane
marking, corrects the vehicle's position through unilateral brake application.
It also applies the brakes unilaterally if the vehicle drifts across a lane
marking and the neighbouring lane has, for example, oncoming traffic,
overtaking or overtaken vehicles in it.
For Jochen Hermann, the tests with Michael Schumacher are a
useful supplement to the millions of test kilometres in the simulator, on the
roads and on test tracks around the world. "It is enormously enjoyable to
work with Michael Schumacher. He is not only sensationally good at manoeuvring
cars, he has an extraordinary understanding of technology and driving physics
combined with the ability to identify potential solutions precisely and
rapidly. I think this cooperation will bear a great deal of fruit in the
future. Our shared aim is more safety for all road users."
"What I personally find very good is this: it is not
necessary to buy an S-Class to obtain the latest systems; instead Mercedes-Benz
is rapidly making this technology accessible to many car drivers now - in the
new C-Class, for example; or even, in the case of COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
and ATTENTION ASSIST, as standard equipment right from the A-Class upwards.
This is an approach I can only applaud – safety must be made available to
everyone," Schumacher said after concluding the test drives.
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