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Top 5 Mercedes-Benz's Safety Innovations
Today we travel in a car without thinking much about where or who designed it. Think of the individual safety systems like seatbelts, air bags, braking systems and you will notice that they are marvelous technologies in their own way.
Mercedes has been in the forefront for creating safety technologies over the years. Mercedes is not only a venerated brand for its luxurious cars but is also admired for its safety features. The safety innovations date back to their founder Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler. Since the companies merged, they have developed a reputation for quality, reliability, durability, and safety. The company has carefully brought together the path breaking innovations that enhanced the standard of travelling by a car.
It has the patent for most number of safety innovations for cars. So much so that Mercedes has become a synonym for safety. But, Mercedes has never made a big deal about these safety features and has allowed every car manufacturer to use it without consent. These safety features has saves thousands of lives every day across the world.
Mercedes has been in the forefront for creating safety technologies over the years. Mercedes is not only a venerated brand for its luxurious cars but is also admired for its safety features. The safety innovations date back to their founder Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler. Since the companies merged, they have developed a reputation for quality, reliability, durability, and safety. The company has carefully brought together the path breaking innovations that enhanced the standard of travelling by a car.
It has the patent for most number of safety innovations for cars. So much so that Mercedes has become a synonym for safety. But, Mercedes has never made a big deal about these safety features and has allowed every car manufacturer to use it without consent. These safety features has saves thousands of lives every day across the world.
Let's go through the five safety features developed by Mercedes-Benz:
Seat Belts Pre-Tensioners
Mercedes-Benz was the first car manufacturers to use pre-tensioners to seat belts. The pre-tensioners preemptively tighten the belt to prevent the occupants from jerking forward violently during a collision. The pretensioners are equipped with sensors to trigger tightening of the seatbelts. These sensors are filled with gases that expand to drive the piston that retracts the belts. Mercedes introduced the technology in the highly expensive S-Class series in 1981.
After it was invented and demonstrated, many other pretensioners were developed like the CG lock technology where a person is held by the lap belt so as to prevent the person thrusting out of the car in case of an accident. Seat belts alone are the biggest life savers in the world. They are mandatory in cars in most countries across the world. Most luxury cars in India come with pre-tensioners on the seat belts.
After it was invented and demonstrated, many other pretensioners were developed like the CG lock technology where a person is held by the lap belt so as to prevent the person thrusting out of the car in case of an accident. Seat belts alone are the biggest life savers in the world. They are mandatory in cars in most countries across the world. Most luxury cars in India come with pre-tensioners on the seat belts.
Safety Cage / Crumple zone
The safety feature was completely developed by Mercedes-Benz. It is possibly the most important innovation in automobile history that ensures the safety of passenger. It is now used in almost all vehicles. According to an estimate by U.S. safety agencies, atleast 25 percent of severe injuries were prevented by safety cage with front and rear crumple zones. These are standard features on all cars manufactures in the world today. Mercedes-Benz demonstrated the effectiveness of crumple zone in 1959 concept car, the Fintail. While the safety cage itself was created by Saab in 1949, it was Mercedes-Benz which enhanced its feature with front and rear crumple zones, in 1951.
Crumple Zone is a reinforced structure that surrounds the passenger cabin. The front and rear body part is equipped with this feature to lessen the impact of collision. The force of impact is then diverted away from central to the sides of the body. Occupants are largely unharmed during a crash. In case the passenger does jerk forward, technologies like the crumple zones, seat belts and airbags prevent any permanent damage to rib cage or head of the person. It helps prevent a person from suffering permanent disability. The world's cheapest car Tata Nano too is equipped with this feature.
Crumple Zone is a reinforced structure that surrounds the passenger cabin. The front and rear body part is equipped with this feature to lessen the impact of collision. The force of impact is then diverted away from central to the sides of the body. Occupants are largely unharmed during a crash. In case the passenger does jerk forward, technologies like the crumple zones, seat belts and airbags prevent any permanent damage to rib cage or head of the person. It helps prevent a person from suffering permanent disability. The world's cheapest car Tata Nano too is equipped with this feature.
Antilock Braking System
Antilock braking system (ABS) is a highly sophisticated system on wheels. ABS is not aimed at stopping the vehicle, but at slowing down the vehicle to allow driver gain full control over the manoeuvre. The ABS brakes lock, releases and re-applies hydraulic pressure to brake several times a second helps prevent wheel lock and rapidly decelerates while maintaining maximum braking effort. Anti-lock brakes were developed for aircrafts in 1929 by French automobile and aircraft pioneer Gabriel Voisin. Initially, when it was developed the acronym ABS stood for anti-blocking system and not the currently used term anti-lock braking system.
It was first installed on Mercedes Cars in 1978.ABS have been offered as standard equipment on 1989. Mercedes developed the anti-lock braking technology since 1970s, and introduced the first completely electronic 4-wheel multichannel ABS system in S Class in 1978.
It was quickly adopted by other car manufacturers across the world. In India, ABS is standard on luxury cars and is optional on small cars like Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Swift Hatchback, Skoda Fabia and others.
It was first installed on Mercedes Cars in 1978.ABS have been offered as standard equipment on 1989. Mercedes developed the anti-lock braking technology since 1970s, and introduced the first completely electronic 4-wheel multichannel ABS system in S Class in 1978.
It was quickly adopted by other car manufacturers across the world. In India, ABS is standard on luxury cars and is optional on small cars like Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Swift Hatchback, Skoda Fabia and others.
Airbags
The first airbags were offered for the North American market in Mercedes-Benz cars in 1988. In those days, airbags were the most fantastic features that directly protect the passengers from body injury.
An airbag is a safety device which rapidly inflates during an automobile collision. When inflated, it prevents passengers from hitting into objects like steering wheel, front windshield or even the window. It is a passive safety system that does not require intervention of the passenger to activate it.
Airbags were invented by Dr. Allen S Breed, An American inventor, who developed the ball-in-tube inertial system for crash detection. The Breed Corporation marketed this to Chrysler in 1967. Airbags worked best when the seatbelts are fastened to the body of the car occupant. But even by 70s, seatbelts were considered not very important and most owners preferred not to wear it. Thus, Chrysler marketed it as convenient alternative to seatbelts. The General Motors called the airbags, the 'air cushion restraint system'.
In 1980, Mercedes-Benz introduced the air bags in Germany, using a patent it had earned in 1971. It was offered as an option on high end S-Class (W126). Mercedes got the patent for using sensors that would tighten seatbelts and deploy airbags, during a crash. The airbags complemented the seatbelts and enhanced safety system or supplemental restraint. The same airbag deployment technology was introduced in North American market in 1988.
Airbags become common in United States and Europe in 90s and were made mandatory for all cars.
An airbag is a safety device which rapidly inflates during an automobile collision. When inflated, it prevents passengers from hitting into objects like steering wheel, front windshield or even the window. It is a passive safety system that does not require intervention of the passenger to activate it.
Airbags were invented by Dr. Allen S Breed, An American inventor, who developed the ball-in-tube inertial system for crash detection. The Breed Corporation marketed this to Chrysler in 1967. Airbags worked best when the seatbelts are fastened to the body of the car occupant. But even by 70s, seatbelts were considered not very important and most owners preferred not to wear it. Thus, Chrysler marketed it as convenient alternative to seatbelts. The General Motors called the airbags, the 'air cushion restraint system'.
In 1980, Mercedes-Benz introduced the air bags in Germany, using a patent it had earned in 1971. It was offered as an option on high end S-Class (W126). Mercedes got the patent for using sensors that would tighten seatbelts and deploy airbags, during a crash. The airbags complemented the seatbelts and enhanced safety system or supplemental restraint. The same airbag deployment technology was introduced in North American market in 1988.
Airbags become common in United States and Europe in 90s and were made mandatory for all cars.
Brake Assist
This is the most modern input to braking technology. The Brake assist system as the name suggests helps boost braking pressure during emergencies. It was developed by Daimler Benz and TRW/Lucas Varity. A study in Germany had revealed that at least 90 percent of the drivers fail to apply maximum force during hard braking.
Brake Assist detects the speed at which the brake pedal is depressed and immediately deploys maximum brake boost to mitigate driver's tendency to brake without applying enough forces. The sensors deploy the pressure after measuring the speed of brake pressure depression and speed of the vehicle. It is learnt that brake assist has been seen to reduce stopping distances by 20 percent. Mercedes fitted the Brake Assist on Mercedes-Benz S-Class and SL Class in December 1996.
Brake Assist detects the speed at which the brake pedal is depressed and immediately deploys maximum brake boost to mitigate driver's tendency to brake without applying enough forces. The sensors deploy the pressure after measuring the speed of brake pressure depression and speed of the vehicle. It is learnt that brake assist has been seen to reduce stopping distances by 20 percent. Mercedes fitted the Brake Assist on Mercedes-Benz S-Class and SL Class in December 1996.
» Read more Articles On Antilock Braking System
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