Mercedes-Benz has installed its one millionth Active Brake Assist emergency braking system on its trucks and buses.
The company has set itself the objective of fitting a safety system that surpasses legal requirements to 75% of the vehicles delivered in core markets in 2025 and at least 80% in 2030.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks was the first manufacturer to introduce an anti-lock braking system ABS for trucks in 1981 and began installing anti-slip control (ASR) a few years later. The first Actros, in 1996, saw the introduction of an electronic brake system (EBS) and later models were amongst the first to be fitted with ABS ant-lock braking, Proximity Control Assist and Lane Assistant.
Daimler Truck says that “all of these safety assistance systems make an important contribution to preventing accidents” and that “it is essential to put these systems on the road in large numbers”. That’s why the requirements for safety are continually improving and why since July 6, 2022 for new vehicle types advanced systems are required as standard equipment.
According to the German Federal Statistical Office, the number of fatalities in accidents involving goods vehicles fell from 889 to 613 between 2011 and 2021 – nearly one third.
In the same period, the number of road accident vehicle occupants killed by goods vehicles fell from 174 to 140 – almost 20%.
Looking at the development in Germany over an even longer period of time, the number of people killed in a truck accident per billion ton-kilometers driven fell from 7.5 to 1.2 between 1992 and 2021 – a decrease of 84% - with serious injuries falling from 52.9 to 11.2 – a decrease of 79%.
Year: 2018 | Body Type: Crane | Cab Type: Day | Registration: HX18OHV | Mileage: 193,055 km | Power: 253 bhp
Year: 2015 | Body Type: Tipper | Cab Type: Sleeper | Registration: YP15YWF | Mileage: 700,000 km | Power: 396 bhp
Year: 2015 | Body Type: Beavertail | Cab Type: Sleeper | Registration: KN15MHU | Mileage: 698,869 km | Power: 7,698 bhp
