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The Integrated Safety Concept from Mercedes-Benz

Virtually no other area inspires the Mercedes-Benz engineers to produce such consistently impressive results as much as research into new safety technologies. The first important safety milestone was reached back in the 1950s with the development of the passenger safety cell, invented by Béla Barényi. Today it is just one of many components of the Integral Safety Concept which edges us ever closer to our vision of accident-free driving.

More detailed information:

ESP® in the TechCenter
Intelligent Light System in the TechCenter
Night View Assist Plus in the TechCenter
PRE-SAFE® in the TechCenter
Restraint systems in the TechCenter

Phase 1: safe driving

For safe driving, the Mercedes-Benz safety concept supports you using many different measures: the control and display system is especially tailored to the driver. Then there are systems which are designed to alert and assist the driver in critical situations.

DISTRONIC PLUS proximity-controlled cruise control including PRE-SAFE® brake (optional)
Adaptive brake lights
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Acceleration skid control (ASR)
ATTENTION ASSIST
Brake Assist (BAS)
ADAPTIVE BRAKE system with HOLD function, Hill-Start Assist and brake drying in wet conditions
PARKTRONIC parking aid, including Parking Guidance (optional)
Electronic Stability Program (ESP®)
Headlamp Assist
Speed Limit Assist (optional)[1]
Intelligent Light System with LED daytime running lamps and cornering light function (optional)
Torque Vectoring Brakes (optional)[2]

Phase 2: in critical situations

Mercedes-Benz stands for automotive safety. That's why our vehicles can support their passengers even in critical driving situations, so that every journey is as safe as it can possibly be.

PRE-SAFE® occupant protection system (optional)

Phase 3: in an accident

A host of safety systems work together in the SLK Roadster to prevent accidents. Should the worst come to the worst, however, a number of occupant safety measures are activated. They include protection for the vehicle occupants as well as for other road users:

At the core: the extremely rigid passenger cell and crumple zones ensure a high level of occupant safety. The reinforced A-pillar and the roll-over bars also give the Roadster outstanding structural strength.
As deemed necessary by the sensors: depending on the type of pending accident sensed, the six airbags and the belt systems can be activated selectively. The sensor system will only activate those restraint systems that it calculates to be actually needed.
All-round protection: depending on the predicted severity of a collision, the adaptive front airbags in the SLK can be deployed in two stages (in a minor collision, in the first deployment stage the airbag is only partially filled). In lateral impacts that exceed a defined threshold, the optimised head/sidebags in the flanks of the seat backrests are deployed on the impact side. The headbags deploy from the upper edge of the door inner sides, the sidebags are integrated on the outside edges of the seat backrests.
Safety is all in the head: crash-responsive head restraints improve occupant protection and help to reduce the risk of whiplash injury. In the event of a rear-end collision the head restraints can be moved forward by around 40 mm and upwards by around 30 mm, providing support for the vehicle occupants’ heads at an earlier stage.
Intelligent protection for other road users: the standard active bonnet function can help reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians or cyclists colliding into the bonnet if the car is travelling at a speed between 25 and 55 km/h. To cushion the blow, the bonnet springs up by approx. 8.5 centimetres at the rear.

Active engine bonnet
Airbags for driver and front passenger
Sidebags

Phase 4: after an accident

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:

Best possible protection: the engine can be switched off automatically and the fuel supply can be cut off.
Conspicuous lighting: the hazard warning lamps and emergency interior lighting are activated automatically in order to prevent subsequent accidents and make it easier to find the accident vehicle.
Measures to aid rescue: where necessary, side windows are lowered by a small amount and the doors can be automatically unlocked. Additionally, integral crash joints between the wing and the door can make opening the doors after a frontal collision easier.

Mercedes-Benz has also published multilingual rescue guidelines (accessible worldwide on the internet) as a source of information for rescue services.