The world’s safest truck is now even safer. Auto Nation Group, Inc. (ANG), general distributor for Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles in the Philippines, recently introduced the heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz Actros truck with the second generation of Active Brake Assist. ANG organized a live demonstration at the Freeport Zone of Clark Air Base in Pampanga last April 24 to showcase how the safety technology activates in various pre-collision situations on the road.
“We are proud to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the second generation of Active Brake Assist and how it can further help prevent accidents and collisions. We at Auto Nation Group would like to strengthen the presence of the safest truck in the world, the Mercedes-Benz Actros, in our country to make our roads even safer,” said Don Ramos, assistant vice president for commercial vehicles of ANG.
“The Actros is by itself a safe and modern truck. With the second generation of Active Brake Assist, truck drivers, passengers, and other motorists on the road are assured of safer roads because of this risk-mitigating technology. Mercedes-Benz puts a premium on safety, and you can expect that we will continue to find ways to ensure our vehicles are always safe and reliable,” added Ramos.
Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Richmund de Leon graced the event as a show of support to the company for introducing Active Brake Assist in the Mercedes-Benz Actros, which he said also helps the government achieve its modernization program.
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Active Brake Assist: tried and tested over a total of more than three billion kilometers
This unique and multi-award-winning safety system now has even greater capability: whereas the first-generation system applied the brakes automatically if it detected a risk of a head-to-tail collision with a slow-moving obstacle in front of the vehicle, Active Brake Assist 2 is also activated if a stationary obstacle is detected. Active Brake Assist has already proven its worth in more than 14,000 trucks and over a total of more than three billion kilometers on Europe’s roads.
Anti-lock braking system, acceleration skid control, disc brakes all round, electronically controlled braking system, high-pressure braking system, Brake Assist, Lane Assistant, roll control, proximity control – the list of safety technologies and systems that have celebrated their world premiere in Mercedes‑Benz trucks is a long one. One development highlight is the revolutionary Active Brake Assist system, which was introduced for the Mercedes-Benz Actros heavy-duty truck in 2006 and has since proven itself time and time again out on the road.
Many truck drivers have reported situations in which the safety system has prevented accidents. The experts are agreed: Active Brake Assist has saved lives – not only those of Actros drivers and occupants but also those of the people in the vehicles in front. Many insurance companies are also convinced that this system is good for their customers and, therefore, ultimately for themselves, prompting them to offer discounts on premiums for commercial vehicles equipped with this technology.
The new Active Brake Assist 2 system sets yet another milestone. Whereas the first-generation safety system only initiated emergency braking if there was a risk of a head-to-tail collision with a vehicle in front, Active Brake Assist 2 also applies the brakes if stationary obstacles are detected, for instance, a suddenly encountered traffic tailback on the motorway. Daimler Trucks has therefore taken a further step towards realizing its vision of accident-free driving, as part of its “Shaping Future Transportation” global initiative.
Radar-controlled system detects stationary obstacles
The radar used by the Active Brake Assist 2 system scans an area of 1-200 m in the lane ahead of the truck whilst continuously determining the distance to a vehicle in front or a stationary obstacle as well as the difference in speed between the two vehicles. If based on the current driving style, an accident is unavoidable, the driver initially receives visual warnings in the form of a red triangle that lights up and an audible alarm. If the situation gets any worse, the system responds by applying the brakes.
The warning concept is designed to allow drivers to diffuse critical situations themselves; that’s because braking initiated by Active Brake Assist 2 with 50% of the maximum braking power gives drivers the time that is needed to avoid an accident themselves.
Decisive advantage: effective from 0-89 km/h and robust under all weather and light conditions
Active Brake Assist 2 offers decisive advantages over other systems currently under development. The tried-and-tested radar technology operates robustly under all weather and light conditions, for instance. What’s more, Active Brake Assist is effective across a truck’s entire speed range – from 0 km/h or slow driving at a brisk walking pace to motorway speeds of up to 89 km/h (when the speed limiter is activated).
Although Active Brake Assist 2 cannot always prevent accidents, the automatic application of the brakes does reduce the collision speed and, therefore, mitigates the consequences of accidents substantially. For inquiries on pricing and specifications, or to request for more information, please contact 784 5162 or visit any of the Mercedes-Benz showrooms at EDSA Greenhills, BGC, Alabang, and Cebu.