Models

Safety – the keynote

The integral safety concept from Mercedes-Benz divides vehicle safety into four phases.

Virtually no other area inspires Mercedes-Benz engineers more than researching new safety technologies. They passed their first key safety milestone as early as the 1950s with the development of the passenger safety cell, invented by Béla Barényi. Today it is one of numerous elements of an integrated safety concept that edges Mercedes-Benz vehicles closer to our vision of accident-free driving.

Phase 1: safe driving

The majority of accidents start long before the actual collision: with a lapse in concentration, poor visibility or hazards which cannot be anticipated. That's why the Mercedes-Benz safety concept employs a range of measures to support safe driving in everyday operation and to help you bring critical situations under control.

DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control including BAS PLUS Brake Assist and (optional) PRE-SAFE® brake[1]
ATTENTION ASSIST
Active Lane Keeping Assist (optional)[1]
Active Blind Spot Assist (optional)[1]
ADAPTIVE BRAKE system with HOLD function
Headlamp Assist
Night View Assist Plus with spotlight function (optional)
Torque vectoring brake

Phase 2: in critical situations

Mercedes-Benz stands for automotive safety. That's why our vehicles support their passengers even in critical driving situations, so that every drive is a good one, if at all possible.

Many accidents can be prevented right up to a few seconds before impact. This very short period of time is at the heart of the PRE-SAFE® system. Mercedes-Benz first introduced the system in 2002 and has continued to develop it ever since. PRE-SAFE® can sense critical situations and prevent accidents as well reduce their after-effects.

The PRE-SAFE® electronics of the new CL process this information and initiate preventive measures to protect occupants in response to typical dangerous situations. These measures include the automatic positioning of the passenger seat and automatic closing of side windows and sliding sunroof.

Phase 3: in an accident

Cars from Mercedes-Benz have a host of safety systems to prevent accidents. Should the worst come to the worst, however, safety measures providing optimum occupant protection are activated.

Passive safety includes all measures that can offer protection in the event of an accident and help to mitigate its potential consequences.

These notably include the sophisticated restraint systems. The CL is equipped as standard with eight airbags, including two windowbags; these cover virtually the entire side windows.

Pressure sensors in the CL enhance airbag control by projecting the severity of a collision and ensuring airbag deployment appropriate to requirements. If the door deforms in a side-on collision, the increase in air pressure between the body panels and door interior is detected by the sensors, enabling the control system to deploy the sidebags and windowbags accordingly.

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:

Greatest possible protection: The engine can be turned off automatically, the doors automatically unlocked and the fuel supply cut off.
Safe lighting: the hazard warning lights and emergency interior lights can be automatically activated, so as to reduce the risk of subsequent accidents and to make finding the vehicle easier.
Measure to aid rescue: 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.