Mercedes-Benz.tv: New TV commercial 'Sorry' - Break Assist

BAS-Plus is the Mercedes trademark for Brake Assist (BA) (Wikipedia).

Euro NCAP Advanced will reward manufacturers at Paris Motor Show

13th July 2010: At eSafety Challenge at Millbrook Euro NCAP announced Euro NCAP Advanced, a reward system for new and emerging safety technologies.


Recent technological advancements have considerably broadened the automotive safety landscape. Features like Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, Attention Assist, Autonomous Braking and Emergency Call are increasingly offered as options by car makers on their newest models. However, with so many technologies entering the market, and with no independent advice on the safety benefit they offer, many consumers are left feeling confused.

Euro NCAP Advanced aims to provide car buyers with clear guidance about the safety benefits which these new technologies offer them and their families. The new reward system, complementing Euro NCAP’s existing star rating scheme, will recognize and reward manufacturers who promote those new safety technologies which have a scientifically proven safety benefit. By rewarding technologies which may currently be fitted only on luxury models or as options, Euro NCAP will provide an incentive to manufacturers to accelerate the standard fitment of important safety equipment across their entire model ranges, bringing safety benefits to all.

Many of the technologies are so new that no accepted standards exist to assess them. Euro NCAP has developed a unique methodology which allows the potential safety benefits of any new technology to be determined. Unlike Euro NCAP’s well established assessments involving physical tests at a crash laboratory, the new process is based entirely on the assessment of scientific evidence presented by the vehicle manufacturer. An independent panel of experts looks at the extent of the safety problem which a new technology aims to address. Through a logical and rigorous analysis of the way in which the technology has been developed, tested and validated, and from any real-world experience that may exist, the system’s performance and its expected effectiveness can be determined. Recognition of the potential benefit of these new technologies in no way undermines the importance of basic crash safety: cars are eligible for a Euro NCAP Advanced reward only if they have already achieved a creditable three star rating in the overall rating scheme.

At the eSafety Challenge in Millbrook, Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP said “With these rewards Euro NCAP will add a new dimension to its mission. From now on consumers will be able to learn more about the benefits of advanced safety systems in their car and consult Euro NCAP for advice before deciding on purchase. Collectively we can make another step forward in effectively reducing traffic fatalities and injuries on European roads.”

At the upcoming Paris Motor Show in October 2010, the association will reward the first set of manufacturers for their efforts in their development of new advanced safety features. Information about the rewarded technologies will be posted on the car’s webpage of Euro NCAP’s website.

SEiSS 2004 - Key Diagrams

Final Report |

eSafety Realism

Source: IRM WG meeting, CLEPA, Brussels, 22 October 2008

Report: pdf

Active Safety Systems by Brian Knibb, KGP (Derby, UK)

Source: 22nd IRM WG meeting, 15 June 2009 - Report & Acronyms used.

In the KPG analysis high benefit & low cost Active eSafety systems are 

• Traction Systems
• TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems)
• ABS (Anti-braking System)
• ESC (Electronic Stability Control)
• EBA (Emergency Brake Assist)
• Lighting Systems
• CAL (Curve Adaptive Lighting)
• Tracking Systems
• RTTS (Real Time Tracking Systems) - a GPS system that alerts if the car is exceeding the speed limit

Car Safety Acronyms

source: Implementation Road Map Working Group.

eSafety Challenge 2009 - Women are key to adoption of Active eSafety

Summary Report and Full Report.

In the mini class 83% are sold WITHOUT Electronic Stability Control

New research presented at the Challenge, held in Milbrook, UK, on 13 July 2010 shows that despite rising awareness of life saving crash avoidance technologies not enough cars have crucial eSafety systems fitted. Thousands of lives could be saved if these systems were more widely used.

Across the five biggest European markets, installation rates for eSafety systems such as anti-skid device Electronic Stability Control (ESC) are still too low. In particular very few small cars have ESC installed as standard. In the mini class, the majority (83%) are sold without ESC, new figures show.

New Mercedes ESF 2009 Experimental Safety Vehicle

Mercedes Benz S-Class, Pre-Safe Braking.

eIMPACT research - Lives and Injuries saved by Car Active eSafety systems

source:  http://www.eimpact.eu & report (pdf) ; download all documents

Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems (IVSS) or Car Active eSafety Systems (CAeSS) have tremendous potential for reducing road fatalities, which were over 40,000 in 2005 in the EU. 

ICT systems such as ABS, cruise control, adaptive cruise control and electronic stability control (ESC) have been on the market for years, in some cases decades. The uptake of these systems varies; ESC has had a relatively quick uptake and now is present in approximately 40% of vehicles on the road. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on the other hand is installed on less than 1% of vehicles. 

To achieve safety goals, more vehicles need to be equipped. The deployment of the systems should be accelerated. To accelerate deployment, stakeholders such as road authorities, policy makers and industry want to know which systems should be chosen to be accelerated, and why?. What are the benefits? Who do they benefit? Who should promote them, and how?

eIMPACT Partners
http://www.eimpact.eu/download/PresentationFinalConference_Introduction.pdf

The eIMPACT project carried out impact assessments of twelve stand-alone and cooperative systems at the EU level, for 2010 and 2020. For each of these two future years, a scenario with a low penetration rate, reflecting no incentives to accelerate deployment, and a high penetration rate, including policy incentives for system deployment, was analysed. Outputs include safety impacts in terms of reductions in fatalities, injuries and accidents, traffic effects in terms of direct (traffic flow) and indirect (reduction in congestion) effects, and the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for the twelve systems. The CBA was extended by a stakeholder analysis, examining the costs and benefits incurred by users, industry and public authorities. Finally, policy options and strategies were explored for deployment strategies of IVSS.

The following twelve systems met the criteria above (in brackets: the 3-letter abbreviation used in tables and figures throughout this report):

1. Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

2. Full Speed Range ACC (FSR)

3. Emergency Braking (EBR)

4. Pre-Crash Protection of Vulnerable Road Users (PCV)

5. Lane Change Assistant (Warning) (LCA)

6. Lane Keeping Support (LKS)

7. NightVisionWarn (NIW)

8. Driver Drowsiness Monitoring and Warning (DDM)

9. eCall (one-way communication) (ECA)

10. Intersection Safety (INS)

11. Wireless Local Danger Warning (WLD)

12. SpeedAlert (SPE)

By 2020 with high penetration scenarios or if ALL cars were fitted (in brackets), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) will reduce fatal accidents by 14% (16%), SpeedAlert (SPE) by 5% (8%), eCall (ECA) by 4% (6%) and Lane Keeping Support (LKS) by 3% (15%). 

Other IVSS are not likely to have high market penetration rate but IF installed (a very big IF!) on all cars would significantly reduce fatalities: Pre-Crash Protection of Vulnerable Road Users (PCV), Lane Change Assistant Warning (LCA), Night Vision Warning (NIW), Driver Drowsiness Monitoring & Warning (DDM), Intersection Safety (INS), Wireless Local Danger Warning (WLD), Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control (FSR).

As a benchmark, each percentage reduction in fatalities represents 230 fatalities & each percentage reduction in injuries represents European 3500 injuries. For example, in the case of ESC in the 2020 high scenario, 3,220 fatalities (14 * 230) in Europe would be avoided at the high penetration rate of 75% (Figure 2).

If ALL these Car Active eSafety Systems (CAeSS)were adopted by 2020 in ALL cars fatal accidents would be reduced by 80% (from 40,000 in Europe pa to 8,000). If ALL CAeSSachieved predicted high penetration rates fatal accidents would be reduced by 7600 but If these systems had low penetration rates fatal accidents would be reduced by 5700. (Table 1).

The impact assessment provides estimates of effects at realistic penetration rates of the IVSS in 2010 and 2020. For each year, two scenarios were considered: a low scenario, for a ‘business as usual’ situation, and a high scenario, where focused policy incentives are assumed.

27 technologies (Figure 8 & 9) were filtered down to just 12 (Table 4) viz Safe Speed & Safe Distance, Cooperative Tunnel Safety, Frontal Collision Warning, Driver alcohol measurement, Roll Over Avoidance, Safe Urban Intersection, Local Risk Information, Pedestrian & Cyclist Protection, Vehicle Dynamic Management (VDM), Adaptive Head Lights etc) - were NOT included in the final 12 selected.

http://www.eimpact.eu/download/PosterBCA.pdf

http://www.eimpact.eu/download/PresentationFinalConference_Safety_impacts.pdf

http://www.eimpact.eu/download/PresentationFinalConference_Safety_impacts.pdf

http://www.eimpact.eu/download/PresentationFinalConference_Policy_options.pdf

Thinkingcars Docuementary Premiere

Thinkingcars 55 minute televisual feast premiered in Brussels. Coming to a TV near you soon.

Mercedes E Class Active Safety

Mercedes has an 'Integrated Safety Concept' on the 2009 released £30,855 E Class* Saloon Avantgarde. The June 2010 price list has the optional Driving Assistance Package £2250 which includes:-

1. Blind Spot Assist – visible warning in exterior mirrors if vehicle is detected in blind spot, audible warning if indicating to move out of lane (detail). 
2. Lane-Keeping Assist – vibrates steering wheel when detecting unintentional drifting out of lane (demo).
3. Distronic Plus - radar controlled braking system that maintains a safe distance from the car in front. 
4. Pre-Safe Brake - radar cruise control keeps you at a safe distance from the car in front .

Night View Assist £1100 uses infrared headlamps to view people and animals or loads shed in the road at night.

Speed Limit Assist Plus £290 has a Camera that recognises speed limit road signs and keeps the driver notified on the instrument cluster:

Standard eSafety features on E Class Avantgarde model are:

1. ESP - Electronic Stability Programme which prevents skids. 
2. LED daytime running lights
3. Intelligent Light System with bi‑xenon headlamps
4. Tyre pressure loss warning system (& Tyre Pressure Monitoring) – alerts driver to significant reductions in tyre pressure
5. Attention Assist - tiredness recognition. Fatigued drivers are identified by steering wheel movements that require constant correction.

Rare Passive Safety features include:

1. Active Bonnet – pedestrian safety measure which detects an impact and raises bonnet by 50 mm, creating additional crumple zone. However Euro NCAP 2010 safety test of Mercedes E Class Avantguarde only gave Pedestrian protection 59% (60% is required by 2012 for a car to be rated 5*)
2. knee airbag

Speed Limitation Assistance is not available on the E Class (unlike the excellent SLA on our Nissan Qashqai Acenta which has transformed the way Sharon & I drive!)

Euro NCAP noted the E Class is fitted as standard with 'PRE SAFE'' system which senses when an accident is about to occur and primes the restraint and protection systems in readiness for the collision.

* E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY Avantgarde, Petrol – 1,796 cc, 184 hp

Advanced Driver Assist Systems

From Thatcham Safety Home go to Advanced Driver Assist Systems: New technologies now coming forward — with cars being able to avoid or mitigate (reduce) the likelihood of a crash occurring in the first place. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is an example of a technology that has been shown to reduce life-threatening crashes by up to 25%. By applying braking to individual wheels it can help to prevent a skid or spin. New Autonomous Emergency Braking systems also use automatic application of braking, but to reduce speed, rather than controlling the direction of the vehicle. These new technologies such as low cost radar, lasers and optical sensors are now being fitted to mainstream vehicles that will enable the car to monitor both road conditions and traffic levels, and ensure that our cars do not collide. 

Autonomous Emergency Braking

Thatcham News April 2010 discusses Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)

What is Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)? 
AEB systems automatically apply the brakes to reduce speed when sensors on the vehicle identify a likely collision and the driver has not applied sufficient braking and is not attempting to steer away. The introduction of automatic braking was seen with the advent of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). ACC uses a radar unit mounted in the front grille to monitor the road ahead for other vehicles and obstacles and manipulates the car engine and brake controls to maintain and adjust speed to keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. Developments in environmental sensing technologies have improved system functionality and object detection reliability to the extent that systems can be relied upon to warn the driver in potentially dangerous situations, and intervene to apply pre-impact emergency braking to reduce collision speeds. State of the art systems are using ‘sensor fusion’, a combination of multiple sensor types (e.g. radar and camera or stereo vision cameras) to reliably identify not only other vehicles, but also pedestrians, and brake to a halt before impact to prevent low and medium speed crashes occurring altogether.

More about Thatcham AEB tests and the Car Thatcham Couldn't Crash!