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PRO-SAFETM The 5-P safety philosophy of Mercedes-Benz
In the beginning there was an invisible revolution. When Mercedes-Benz presented the first production car with passive safety features 46 years ago, the innovations on board - crumple zones and the safety passenger cell - were invisible to the observer.
Since then, Mercedes-Benz has always been a pioneer in the field of safety. In 1978, the car with the star helped to introduce ABS successfully, and just three years later this was followed up by the world’s first car with an airbag and belt tensioners. Many more systems have been added to the list down the years, among them ESP® and PRE-SAFE®.
In all of this, the ultimate goal of Mercedes- Benz has been to achieve its vision of accident-free driving. And although this is still some way off, with PRO-SAFE™ the vision has moved a further step closer towards reality.
Rather than drawing a distinction between active and passive safety, PRO-SAFE™ combines both types of safety system into a forward-looking integrated Mercedes-Benz safety philosophy.
Mercedes-Benz takes a complete A to Z approach to safety, rather than focusing simply on the more obvious features like ABS and ESP®.
It all starts with a wide range of comfort and convenience features designed to contribute to relaxed, stress-free driving. These are supplemented by assistance systems which monitor the driving situation at all times, detecting and warning of impending dangers and if necessary intervening. These systems are also able to ascertain when an accident is unavoidable. In this case they use the crucial remaining milliseconds to take precautionary measures to reduce the risk of occupant injury. And PRO-SAFE™ continues to provide protection even after the accident, for example by reducing the likelihood of follow-on accidents.
As you can see, safety at Mercedes- Benz is an integrated system in which all parts mesh together. This is the principle at the heart of the PRO-SAFE™ concept.
PRO-SAFETM
PRO-SAFE™ is the keystone of the 5-P safety philosophy of Mercedes-Benz. It stands for the commitment of the brand with the star to providing maximum safety for all road users. This commitment is not only rooted in many years of safety research based on simulations, tests and real-world accident analysis, it is also reflected in the pioneering spirit of Mercedes-Benz, that has repeatedly revolutionised the world of safety technology with milestones such as all-electronic ABS or airbags plus belt tensioners.
PERFORM-SAFETM
PERFORM-SAFE comprises all features which contribute to safe driving like stress-relieving comfort, LINGUATRONIC and a control and display system which minimizes driver distraction. Further systems are designed to alert the driver to dangers and to assist him in the task of driving. DISTRONIC PLUS and the Electronic Stability Program ESP` are just a few examples.
PRE-SAFE®
PRE-SAFE® is in a state of continious development. It comprises all systems which are capable of detecting the threat of an accident and take precautionary measures to reduce the risk of injury to passengers if the accident cannot be avoided. PRE – SAFE® systems include reversible belt tensioners, automatic closing of the sunroof and positioning systems for the seats and belts.
PASSIVE-SAFE
Here the objective is to ensure that the occupants are well protected during an accident. Occupants in the vehicle are protected by a high-strength passenger safety cell and by systems such as adaptive airbags, windowbags or crash-responsive head restraints, while protection of other road users is provided by features such as smooth, yielding body surfaces.
POST-SAFE
POST-SAFE comprises measures which help to prevent an even more serious situation from developing after an accident. They include the positioning of the fuel tank in the crash-protected area in front of the rear axle, and automatic engine shut-off following a serious collision. Other POST-SAFE features help to prevent follow on accidents, and make it easier for rescuers to locate the crashed vehicle, for example by automatically switching on the hazard warning lights. Automatic unlocking and easy opening of the doors are further measures designed to ensure that accident victims receive speedy assistance. Another contribution is the rescue guidelines of Mercedes-Benz which rescue services can access worldwide on the internet.