Active Brake Assist 4 will alert the driver and initiate braking in case of impending collision with a pedestrian
Having introduced the automatic braking system in Europe last year, Mercedes-Benz has brought the technology to Australia.
The Active Brake Assist 4 (ABA 4) suite is now available in on-highway Mercedes-Benz Actros prime movers as well as the new Mercedes-Benz rigid models (18-tonne and above).
The new system is an improvement on the company’s “tried and tested” Active Brake Assist 3 system.
The ABA 4 is designed to alert the driver of an imminent collision with a pedestrian on the street and automatically initiate partial braking in such situations.
The company says in “addition to functions familiar from Active Brake Assist 3, i.e. emergency stop when moving or stationary obstacles are detected within the system boundaries, Active Brake Assist 4 also detects moving pedestrians in almost all traffic situations, for example when they cross the truck’s path, step out from behind an obstacle or are moving along the carriageway”.
The automated alerts and braking action is active for up to a speed of 50 km/h.
The system is based on next-generation radar technology that enables pedestrian movement detection close to the vehicle.
Benz says the advantage of a radar system is that “it operates independently of the prevailing light conditions and also largely independently of weather conditions”, making it easy to detect things on the road at all times.
ABA 4 is part of Benz’s Safety Pack, which also includes features like Lane Keeping Assist, Proximity Control Assist and Attention Assist.
The company states that since the launch of the new generation Benz truck in September last year, more than 90 per cent of units delivered have been fitted with its Safety Pack.
“We take safety very seriously at Mercedes-Benz and we are pleased to be able to offer this feature to our Australian customers,” says Mercedes-Benz Truck & Bus director Michael May says.
“Along with the proven efficiency, comfort and reliability of the new model, the safety features of Mercedes-Benz trucks give us a clear competitive advantage.”
The new system will be showcased at the upcoming Brisbane Truck Show.
For more details about the event, visit our Brisbane Truck Show page.