Aesthetics is always paired with good engineering. A vehicle cannot be sufficient with just the unique exterior and flashy interior as it also needs efficient auto parts. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, for example, boasts not only of sophisticated style but also top of the line performance courtesy of its precision-engineered brake system.

Safety is evident in this luxury car from the Mercedes marquee. Aside from the being armed with auto parts fit to reduce injuries to passengers, the vehicle is equipped with prevention systems starting with the car brake. The vehicle boasts of Brake Assist as well as the brands trademark ESP. With this kind of car brake technology, accidents that are caused by skidding are prevented. What it does is provide the driver a better control of the four-wheel machine during abrupt depressing of the brake pedal.

Aside from the road accident cushioning power of the car’s brake, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan also takes pride in its other auto parts that are aimed at minimizing damages. With the old trusty seatbelts and well-scattered air bags, low-speed collisions do not pose that much threat to passengers of the car. Moreover, the frame of the vehicle, which is composed of mainly steel alloys, is designed and manufactured to reduce impact during frontal or rear collisions.

Awarded with a Euro NCAP five-star crash test, the Mercedes-Benz Class sedan further defines what it is to have a peace of mind on the road. This mindset is only made possible because of the reliable safety feature of the vehicle which is its car brake system.

Source: New Car Net.

Mercedes Benz looks forward to the far future with more of its plans to create for the ultimate revolutionary vehicle. After the advent of the Pre-Safe technology, they are now moving on to upgrade their innovations to a higher level. The German automaker has banked well on their what they have achieved in the car brakes system, and they are now aiming for the ultimate “seeing” and “thinking” car.

Since the advent of the Brake Assist (BAS) System, which Mercedes-Benz began offering in 1996 (which was the world’s first), it has been proven to be effective for preventing accidents, therefore leading to the era of the “seeing” car.

This began in 2005 with the introduction of Mercedes-Benz’ Brake Assist Plus (BAS Plus) system, which was followed by the Pre-Safe Brake in 2006. Both systems utilize radar sensors that measure the distance to the vehicle ahead, and so can recognize an impending rear-end collision. BAS Plus warns drivers of the danger and then immediately makes available the braking pressure required for the situation at hand. The Pre-Safe Brake intervenes if an accident is imminent by autonomously braking the vehicle if the driver did not react to the prior warning issued by the system.

This autonomous partial braking maneuver reduces the impact speed in case a collision still occurs, therefore making the system act as an “electronic crumple zone” that gives the passengers additional protection. Mercedes engineers are currently testing the second stage of the Pre-Safe Brake, which involves initiating an automatic emergency braking maneuver if a collision becomes unavoidable. This will lead to a further reduction of impact energy.

This technology is borne out of a particularly accident-prone area in mind—the four-way intersection. A new system already developed by Mercedes as a prototype uses a stereo camera that recognizes cars, cyclists and pedestrians approaching the car from the side. By monitoring the movement, distance, and speed of the object in question, the system is able to predict its probable direction of motion and calculate the likelihood of an accident in advance. This allows the system to gain valuable time to warn the driver and prevent the accident.

Another video-based Mercedes assistance system will remind drivers in the future to obey speed limits by “reading” traffic signs and transmitting their images to a cockpit display in the vehicle. This technology will be used further down the line to also register stop signs, yield signs, and traffic lights.

Soon, it may also be possible to have vehicles communicate with roadside beacons in order to optimize traffic flows and prevent the formation of traffic jams.

Car-to-car communication systems can improve occupant protection as well by exchanging data between vehicles when a collision has become unavoidable. Seatbelt tensioners, airbags and other safety features could then be adjusted in accordance with the data obtained on the counterpart vehicle, whereby at close ranges, the cars of tomorrow could exchange data on vehicle type, mass, rigidity or geometry. As a result, the activation of occupant protection systems could be tailored even more closely to the requirements of the circumstances.

Mercedes Benz leads in automotive safety with their braking technology. Systems developed by the company have been helping improve road safety for many years now. In fact they also see a brighter future due to their endless efforts in developing new technologies that would make driving safer.

“Several years ago, we introduced PRE-SAFE, which gave the vehicle certain ‘reflexes,’ so to speak,” says Dr. Thomas Weber, Daimler Chrysler Board of Management member responsible for Group Research and Mercedes Car Group Development. “In the future, we will also give cars the ability to ‘see’ and ‘think.’ It’s always been a matter of policy for us to develop vehicles capable of withstanding the most severe crash tests. However, it makes much more sense to prevent accidents from occurring in the first place - which is exactly what we’re working on in the interest of all traffic participants.”

PRE-SAFE is just one of their innovations in braking systems. It is actually the successor of the Brake Assist (BAS) system, which Mercedes Benz began offering in 1996. It has proved to be a very effective technology for preventing accidents. After BAS was introduced as a standard equipment, the share of total accidents accounted for by rear-end collisions fell by eight percent for Mercedes vehicles, but remained nearly unchanged for all other brands. Brake Assist also led to a 13 percent reduction in the proportion of serious accidents involving pedestrians. It was also Mercedes Benz who first used this type of braking technology in their vehicles.

It has been reported that Mercedes Benz will continue to base the development of its driver assistance systems on real-life accident statistics, and will utilize new technologies to focus more strongly on the phase immediately preceding an accident. The brand’s engineers are said to be developing systems that monitor the area around the vehicle, warn drivers of potential dangers and then support them if necessary. Such systems will also activate preventive occupant protection systems in critical situations.

The era of the “seeing” car actually began in 2005 when the Mercedes-Benz’ BRAKE ASSIST PLUS (BAS PLUS) system was introduced. BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE utilize radar sensors that measure the distance to the vehicle ahead, which are able to recognize an impending rear-end collision. BAS PLUS warns drivers of the danger and then immediately makes the braking pressure required for the situation at hand available. While, the PRE-SAFE Brake intervenes if an accident is close by braking the vehicle if the driver has not reacted to the prior warning noted by the system. This autonomous partial braking maneuver significantly reduces the impact speed should a collision still occur, whereby the system acts as an “electronic crumple zone” that offers vehicle occupants additional protection. A test conducted by the German Automobile Club (ADAC) shows that the PRE-SAFE Brake reduces the stresses vehicle occupants are exposed to in accidents by up to 45 percent.

Mercedes engineers are currently testing the second stage of the PRE-SAFE Brake, which involves initiating an automatic emergency braking maneuver if a collision becomes unavoidable. This will lead to a further substantial reduction of impact energy.