Restraint systems: two-stage airbags and belt force limiters
Mercedes-Benz has been making a vital contribution to boosting occupant safety for a number of years now by fitting intelligent restraint systems which adapt to the current vehicle occupancy and type of collision. This new generation of technology fist started in 1998 when the S-Class went into series production. Mercedes-Benz has now taken this adaptive protective concept just a little further: supplementary crash sensors allow early detection of the type of collision the vehicle is involved in, while new control algorithms mean deployment of the airbags and belt tensioners can be adapted even more closely to suit actual requirements. The aim of these measures is to further reduce the loads exerted on occupants in the event of serious collisions, while at the same time optimising the protective functions used in collisions occurring at moderate speeds.
Two upfront sensors, as they are known, positioned on the radiator cross member of the new E-Class form one of the most vital elements for adaptive control of the restraint systems. Their remote position in the front-end structure allows them to detect how severe the collision is even sooner and with greater precision than the third crash sensor on the transmission tunnel is able to.