Of course, if the crash doesn't happen, the car soon enough stands down from this defensive position and goes back to its normal mode of operation.
Mercedes-Benz has set its safety objectives even higher for the long-term future, Schoneburg says. Company engineers are planning a "thinking" car that's able to recognize its surroundings.
"This means not only recognizing the road ahead or other vehicles, but also traffic lights, road signs and pedestrians. In addition, Mercedes cars of the future will be able to interpret traffic scenarios and, if necessary, initiate accident prevention measures by themselves," Schoneburg promises.
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