Mercedes Benz unveils safety research car
Mercedes-Benz is known for pioneering advanced safety technologies (New York Times, 6/18). This week, the automaker introduced a concept car built to illustrate some ideas to protect drivers and pedestrians.
The concept car, the ESF 2009, was unveiled at the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. The car includes 13 safety innovations, some of which are improvements on current features, and others that are new inventions.
For example, “the Belt Bag, a combination seat belt and air bag, is a good example of something we may see in the not-too-distant future. It’s a seat belt with two layers, and when crash sensors detect a serious impact, a generator at the belt armature inflates the seat belt.” The “Child Cam” is another fairly simple technology that allows the driver to monitor passengers in the back seat by placing a small camera on the roof lining between the front and back seats. A series of still frame images then appear on the dashboard.
The company has previously produced 35 Enhanced Safety Feature (ESF) vehicles. Past vehicles have included technologies such as antilock breaks, seat belt tensioners, airbags, and side impact protection, which have eventually appeared on the market. As a Chicago personal injury lawyer, I find new automobile safety features to be exciting news.
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