Mercedes-Benz working towards an accident-free driving reality

German automaker Mercedes-Benz has a long track record of research and development focused on keeping drivers and passengers safe. In the future, Mercedes aims to make accident-free driving a reality, even if it's something that won't happen overnight.

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Everything from brake control and lane assist has undergone continuous improvements, and that should only accelerate with the ongoing push toward electric vehicles. The Mercedes plug-in hybrid S-class features regenerative braking paired with a vacuum-independent electromechanical brake booster - and the systems are able to automatically switch between each other.

The PRE-SAFE platform is able to anticipate a traffic collision, which will adjust seat belt tightness, adjust headrests, windows close, and other safety protocols happen automatically. These types of solutions are becoming more commonplace, and will only continue to advance with new generations of vehicles.

Mercedes aims for zero traffic fatalities by 2050, though is taking steps to work itself up to that goal. Researchers aim to reduce the number of serious injuries and traffic fatalities by 2030 compared to 2020 metrics by at least 50% - and will go from there.

As said by Paul Dick, head of vehicle safety at Mercedes-Benz:

"At Mercedes-Benz, we are pursuing our vision of accident-free driving. In other words: no more accidents involving a Mercedes vehicle. We are continuing to work toward this goal at full speed. Highly automated and autonomous driving will be a decisive contributor to its success. After all, vehicle safety has always been at the core of the Mercedes-Benz brand - and we want to continue to expand this claim in the future."

To reduce sources of error, the MB.OS platform is a centralized offering that is replacing current architecture - and allows for fine-tuning the driving experience of Mercedes drivers.

The continued launch of vehicles jam-packed with electronics - and next-generation software - often is designed with safety in mind. The ability to analyze vehicle data and identify city roads that pose safety issues. Mercedes is working with London to see how information from the Mercedes-Benz Road Safety Dashboard can be used to identify high risk urban locations posing potential collision points.