The Integrated Safety System

The Integrated Safety System
Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches
Responsibility obligates.
Naturally you give bus transport safety top priority. And so do we at Mercedes-Benz. As the ­
inventor of the omnibus, and a leading manufacturer, we have a particularly strong responsibility
to make travelling by bus even safer.
Leading by example. Since Carl Benz built the first ­­
omni­bus in 1895, bus transport safety has made huge
progress and Mercedes-Benz has played a vital part. At
Mercedes we promote the cause of automotive safety
through a ­continuous stream of inventions and groundbreaking i­ nnovations, a process that very much includes
the bus. Many technical novelties that are standard
­today were first showcased in a vehicle bearing the Star.
So it’s no s­ urprise that the safest bus in the world is
­currently a Mercedes-Benz.
The Star as a symbol of the highest levels of safety. No
other company in the industry invests as much as we
do in research and development. All our vehicle classes
benefit from the pioneering work on safety done in the
various different sections of the company. That’s why
the safety technology of Mercedes-Benz buses is so
­cutting-edge. It also explains why you can expect more
safety from a vehicle bearing the Star. Quite simply,
Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches are the embodiment
of a very special responsibility.
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Safe from A to Z.
Will bus accidents soon become a thing of the past? Driven by the vision of accident-free travel,
­Mercedes-Benz has developed the Integrated Safety System. This provides a comprehensive package
to increase bus transport safety.
When it comes to bus safety we look four times harder.
Safe travel, accident avoidance, protecting passengers and
drivers before and after an accident: active and passive
safety has many facets. And never more so than in bus
transport. The special quality of the Mercedes-Benz Integrated Safety System lies in the fact that it embraces all
four phases of automotive safety, from driving safety, to
mastering critical situations through to protection during
an accident and assistance after one. For every phase we
can offer you pioneering solutions that make bus transport
significantly safer.
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Our vision for an accident-free future. Could the buses
of the future have no accidents? At Mercedes-Benz
we’ve been working for a long time to make this vision
a reality. The Integrated Safety System is an important
step in that direction and so it’s matter of honour for us
that we build the safest regular-service bus in the world:
the Mercedes-Benz Safety Coach.
Priority for driving safety.
In bus transport a minor incident is sometimes enough to trigger danger. For instance, if the ­
vehicle in front brakes suddenly. To identify and master such situations reliably, the Integrated
Safety System offers you a range of innovative solutions.
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Imagine a Guardian Angel that automatically alerts a distracted bus driver. It takes a lot to disturb the equilibrium
of Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches fitted with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®). ESP® helps the bus driver
to negotiate unexpected driving situations safely. Through
targeted interventions in the braking and engine control
system the electronics ensure that the bus remains on track
and retains its balance as much as possible - even during
fast cornering or abrupt, evasive manoeuvres. That means
a tangible plus for driving safety.
Safety can be automated too. ESP® is only one of the
many innovative electronic guardian angels that enhance
driving safety in Mercedes-Benz buses. For example, the
electro-pneumatic braking system (EBS) ensures that the
brakes are operated faster when the driver presses on the
brake pedal. Or take Roll & Pitch Control. This stabilises
the vehicle automatically and optimises its road holding in
response to the current load situation and road conditions.
Meanwhile, assistance systems such as Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC), Lane Guard System (LGS) and Continuous
Braking Limiter (CBL) make important contributions in
terms of greater driving comfort and extra driving safety.
On top of this our buses also feature many more engineering features, which make driving them significantly safer.
An unforeseen obstacle on the road: thanks to ESP® the evasive manoeuvre
succeeds without causing the bus to skid.
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Safe resolution of critical situations
comes as standard.
A vehicle that suddenly pulls out from oncoming traffic to overtake or an obstacle suddenly ­
appearing as you go round a bend: thanks to ultra-modern Mercedes-Benz engineering, many
­hazardous situations can be negotiated more readily by your bus leading to less accidents.
The safest buses brake of their own accord. Mercedes-Benz
is the only manufacturer in the world to offer buses fitted
with Active Brake Assist (ABA). If every vehicle on the
roads were equipped with it, rear impact accidents would
immediately become a thing of the past. ABA reacts automatically if the bus threatens to collide with the vehicle
in front. The electronics warn the driver first via a graduated alarm signal. If there is no response the ABA cuts in
and brakes the vehicle automatically until the immediate
impact hazard has been avoided.
The ABA continuously measures the distance to the vehicle in front and
­reacts automatically if an impact becomes imminent.
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Our innovations defuse hazardous situations. ABA is just
one example of the advanced electronic aids that support
drivers in critical situations. For example, Anti-lock Braking (ABS) and Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) have been
fitted in our buses for decades. Today, many new safety
systems have also been added such as Brake Assist (BA),
which applies the full braking force in a split second in
emergency braking situations, thereby reducing the braking distance.
Anyone can learn to react correctly at the decisive moment. The bus driver’s response is vital in determining
whether a hazardous situation can be negotiated without
an accident. That’s why we offer OMNIplus, the service
brand for customers of Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches
that provides a comprehensive range of safety training
courses for bus drivers. Different subject matter and
­q ualification levels offer targeted, legally recognised
­professional training, tailored to the individual needs
of the participants. The courses closely integrate theory
and practice to ensure continuous learning success. Go
to www.training.omniplus.com to find out more and register for courses.
Making every accident
a minor one.
Imagine you’re sitting in a bus that is involved in an accident. You’ll be hoping it’s a Mercedes-Benz,
because the Integrated Safety System continues to protect even if an accident does occur.
Now bus drivers can survive accidents in better shape.
In the event of frontal impact, drivers and tour guides are
at particular risk. That’s why Mercedes-Benz Buses and
Coaches has developed Front Collision Guard (FCG). It increases the degree of protection afforded to people in the
bus cockpit and reduces the risk of injury associated with
conventional designs. FCG improves the deflection of the
impact energy as well as moving the driver area several
valuable centimetres backwards away from the danger
zone, thus significantly reducing the severity of any injuries.
For us it’s not simply about the passenger compartment,
it’s also about human lives. It goes without saying that the
shells of Mercedes-Benz buses fulfil all legal requirements
concerning passive safety. However, far more important
for us is that our vehicles provide all passengers with the
best-possible accident protection. That’s why we design the
passenger compartment to be extremely tough, thus providing passengers with a safe and survivable environment.
Special partitions and protective walls reduce the risk of
injury in exposed areas, while the extremely strong seats
in our long-distance coaches provide passengers with
­better protection. Their backrests can absorb very large
amounts of energy, thus increasing stability in the event of
an accident.
FCG (light-grey) absorbs the energy released in an impact and enlarges the
survival area for the bus driver.
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Making things easier for rescuers.
Even after an accident you benefit from the Integrated Safety System in a Mercedes-Benz bus.
­Special engineering features and special services assist emergency personnel at the accident scene
to ensure they can provide the best-possible assistance.
The right information can save human lives. Fortunately
serious accidents are a rarity in bus transport. However,
if one does happen the rescuers on the scene must be able
to reach the injured passengers swiftly and without endangering either themselves or the passengers unnecessarily. That’s why Mercedes-Benz provides rescue guidelines, being the only manufacturer to do so to date. These
provide clear and detailed advice and information for our
current models. A service that can save lives in an emergency. Naturally though we are doing everything we can
to ensure that neither you, nor anybody else, ever has to
make use of them.
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If you prepare for the worst you are better able to prevent it. Drivers can also contribute to reducing the severity of any accident for everybody involved and preventing
any follow-up accidents. That’s why the Mercedes-Benz
OMNIplus professional training programme for bus drivers includes a specific emergency training course. This
allows the professionals behind the wheel to practice how
to react under the guidance of experts. During the course
they learn, for instance, how to reduce the risk of injury and increase the vehicle’s stability by ensuring that
luggage is securely stowed away. To find out more go to
www.training.omniplus.com where the Mercedes-Benz
Rescue Guidelines are also available for downloading.
For the best-possible safety on the road: the Integrated
Safety System from Mercedes-Benz.
Your partner for
extra safety.
For decades Mercedes-Benz has systematically broadened
its expertise in the field of automotive safety. Our Integrated Safety System offers you a comprehensive package
of cutting-edge solutions in the bus sector too. Use our
­experience and benefit from our wealth of inventive ideas.
For the sake of your safety and that of your passengers
and on-board personnel.
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Further information is available from your bus and coach dealer. Or visit us at: www.mercedes-benz.com
The illustrations may show items of optional equipment and accessories which are not part of standard specification. The information contained in this
brochure applies to the Federal Republic of Germany. Colours may differ slightly from those shown in the brochure, owing to the limitations of the printing
process. Correct as at 01.08.2010. The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the product.
EvoBus GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach unit, BUS/MPM-M 6098 • 8015 • 02 • 11/0810/01 Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany / Imprimé en République Fédérale d’Allemagne
EvoBus GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach unit, Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Str. 21–57, D-68301 Mannheim, Tel.: +49 (0)621/740-0, Fax: +49 (0)621/740-4251