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But Mercedes isn't stopping there. "We have a vision of accident-free driving, and step by step we are getting closer to making this vision a reality," confirms Dr Sascha Paasche, head of product engineering, Mercedes-Benz vans. Helping achieve this goal will be five key Assist systems - that improve crosswind, collision prevention, blind spot, lane keeping and high beam safety - to be offered on all models in the future.
The third generation of Mercedes' ESP for vans will incorporate the first use in the sector of Crosswind Assist. Designed to minimise the impact strong winds can have on a van's position on the road, it is automatically activated at speeds at, or above, 49.7mph (80km/h). The system is based on sensors that measure the yaw rate and lateral acceleration, thereby determining crosswind forces. Identifying the specific wheels affected, the automated unit applies the brakes to the relevant wheels, causing the vehicle to steer and correct itself, therefore avoiding drifting onto the wrong side of the road or across lanes. Mercedes says that the aim is for vehicles to veer no further than 50cm sideways in strong gusts. Vehicle speed, cargo load and location in the van, and driver steering inputs are all taken into consideration when calculating the level of intervention.
Conscious of the danger of rear-end collisions caused by vehicles travelling too close to each other, Mercedes has conducted analysis that has concluded that the adoption of a radar-based system could prevent "a significant proportion of rear-end collisions, or at least substantially reduce the severity of the accidents". As a result, Collision Prevention Assist makes its debut in the van sector, having only been previously seen on passenger cars. Mercedes stresses that while this system won't prevent all minor low-speed accidents in cities, it will be of most benefit in reducing the number of severe impacts from behind. Sensors on the van's bumper continuously measure the distance to any vehicle travelling ahead, as well as the relative speeds of each vehicle. When a possible impact is predicted, a message is sent from these sensors, and an audible warning sound - the noise intensifying if the distance is further reduced - intimates a very high risk of impact.
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