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That’s the claim of Bosch, the company that first developed the electronic braking system, following the publication of major studies by DaimlerChrysler and Toyota into accidents involving their vehicles. Mercedes-Benz has installed ESP on all its vehicles since model year 2000 and discovered that driving accidents – loss of control without any intervention from others – were reduced by 30%, compared to previous models without ESP. ESP comprises sensors around a vehicle, which compare the steering instructions given by the driver and the actual motion of the vehicle to a central controller/computer. If it detects a deviation, the ESP controller intervenes, braking individual wheels and reducing engine power to ensure the vehicle stays on a safe course and does not get out of control. Mercedes-Benz studied a sample of 1.5 million accidents from data compiled by the Federal Statistical Office in Germany between 1999 and 2001, thus corresponding to the period during which ESP was fitted to all models as standard. The statistics showed that 43% of all road traffic deaths and 20% of injuries occurred as a result of the driver losing control of the vehicle without the involvement of other vehicles, and that in more than two thirds of all driving accidents the car leaves the road – situations that can be significantly diminished by the universal fitment of ESP. The number of Mercedes cars involved in driving accidents where the driver made a serious error fell by 30% following series production fitment of ESP. Bosch, which recently received The Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for Driver and Passenger Safety for its development of ESP, says that increased use of the technology will significantly reduce the casualty toll on Britain’s roads. Manfred Muller, managing director of Bosch Original Equipment Division, says he believed that if the study findings were applied to UK accident figures – last year there were 302,605 casualties on the nation’s roads – there was the potential for saving 500 lives and preventing 2,000 serious injuries and 20,000 casualties annually. He says: “If we are in any way serious about active road safety, then I believe we should all be striving to promote increased fitment levels of ESP well beyond the current level in the UK of 12%. “The two studies have proven that ESP is able to reduce accident rates by significant numbers, and because it is of most help when the driver loses control of their vehicle, it is actually best at preventing the most serious crashes.” And, referring to the introduction of anti-lock brakes Mr Muller says: “ABS has been with us for 25 years this year and, as of next year, all new cars manufactured in Europe will have ABS as standard. Worldwide, manufacturers are taking ESP up at five times the rate they did ABS, so I hope to see ESP as universal fit in the near future.” * * * * * A raft of the latest state-of-the-art safety features is fitted on the newest vehicles to join the Mercedes-Benz line-up – the Viano MPV and E-Class estate. The Viano has replaced the Vivaro and, with its longitudinally-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive, offers two major benefits over its predecessor model, which featured a laterally-mounted engine as well as front-wheel drive – improved traction, regardless of the load on board, and optimised passive safety, with the front axle and front structure playing an even greater role in energy absorption in the event of an accident. The safety of vehicle occupants took top priority in the development of the Viano. Detailed simulation-based calculations ensured that the crash resistance, rigidity, strength and flexural and torsional characteristics of all the vehicle variants were optimised as early as the design phase. Before the first vehicle could take to the road in prototype form, powerful computers had completed a process of virtual optimisation on all body structures to provide the best possible protection in frontal, offset, lateral and rear-end impacts, as well as in the roof-drop and rollover tests. Subsequent real-life testing using test vehicles was therefore simply a matter of fine-tuning. The seat mountings are anchored on the side members and the cross members, which are welded to the floor plate. The A-, B- and C-pillars, side walls and rear wings, sides of the roof frame and side door sills join forces to create an extremely robust passenger compartment. The rigidity of this safety cell has been designed to complement the enormous potential energy absorption of the front-end structure. The front section of the body consists of a front-end assembly containing two deformation boxes, which are fixed to the front ends of the side members. In the event of an impact, these absorb maximum kinetic energy and in minor collisions, prevent damage to the side members of the frame. Behind the front-end assembly is the engine, mounted longitudinally on a subframe, and the front-axle module, including the steering and suspension. Detailed analysis has allowed the roof structure, which consists of a front and rear roof frame and horizontal roof bows, to be optimised and reinforced against the effects of shaking and vibration. The vehicle has been fitted with a proven dual-circuit hydraulic brake system in conjunction with a standard-fitted driving dynamics and brake control assistant system. The vacuum brake booster offers considerably greater brake force support than the predecessor model, allowing the Viano to boast class-leading stopping distances. The Viano is fitted with disc brakes on all wheels; 300mm in diameter and internally ventilated at the front axle, 296mm in diameter at the rear. All models are equipped as standard with the dynamic handling system ESP(r), in which ABS (prevents the wheels from locking under braking), ASR (acceleration skid control, improves traction and assists the driver when moving off, especially on slippery road surfaces), EBD Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (prevents overbraking at the rear axle) and the hydraulic Brake Assist system (builds up full brake pressure under emergency braking, cutting stopping distances) are integral parts. The Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) can brake individual wheels separately in critical driving situations, thus nipping oversteer or understeer in the bud. In addition, a rear-axle, self-levelling air suspension system can be ordered as an option in conjunction with comfort-optimised steel suspension for the front axle. This chassis package comes as standard with the Ambiente trim level. All occupants are kept firmly strapped in their seats by three-point seatbelts. Belt tensioners and belt force limiters are also standard for the driver and front passenger, as is a full-size airbag on the driver's side and, depending on the model variant, on the front passenger side, too. In addition, the list of optional extras includes a twin-size airbag for the front passenger side and windowbags, while the new thorax sidebags are available in conjunction with the optional luxury seats. Meanwhile, the new E-Class estate entered showrooms in June – 10 months after its saloon counterpart – and was immediately voted Best Estate Car in the 2003 Fleet World Honours. All models are fitted with a host of safety and convenience features as standard. There are six airbags, seatbelts with pretensioners and force limiters, and a roll-over sensor to improve occupant protection if the vehicle inverts, by activating airbags in a sequence. To help keep the car on the straight and level is standard rear self-levelling suspension, based on the popular AirMATIC DC system. As well as maintaining a constant ride height, the car will handle in a similar fashion whether empty or fully laden.
SBC™ Stop is available with automatic transmission, which comes with cruise control and the licence-saving Speedtronic speed-limiter package. SBC™ Stop helps relieve driver fatigue in traffic. Once the accelerator is released below a certain speed, the car automatically brakes itself to a complete stop without the need to press the brakes. The brakes are released once the driver accelerates. |
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