With its new Safety Truck, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is demonstrating the direction in which active and passive safety in heavy-duty transport is developing. The electrified truck is equipped with numerous advanced assistance systems that not only meet the requirements of the General Safety Regulation, which will come into force in July 2024, but in some cases already exceed them.
The focus is on Active Brake Assist 6, the latest version of which is installed in the Safety Truck. The system now also detects pedestrians and cyclists in cross traffic and oncoming traffic and can react with automatic emergency braking at speeds of up to 60 km/h. Multi-lane monitoring up to 250 meters also increases responsiveness in complex traffic situations. Active Brake Assist 6 Plus will follow in 2026, already meeting requirements that will not become mandatory until 2028. Mercedes-Benz Trucks is thus demonstrating that safety-related functions are not just regulatory obligations, but key development goals.
The new electronics platform, which is being used for the first time in the eActros 600 and Actros L, plays a key role in the precision of the systems. The fusion of camera and radar data creates a 270-degree image of the surroundings, which is evaluated in real time. Six sensors, 20 times more computing power, and a significantly larger detection range ensure that assistance systems such as Active Sideguard Assist 2, Front Guard Assist, and Traffic Sign Assist can play to their strengths even more reliably.
Driver attention is also a focus. The current Attention Assist monitors steering parameters and warns the driver if their concentration is flagging. From 2026, the enhanced Attention Assist 2 will also detect head and eye movements, calculate the angle of vision, and assess the level of fatigue—all in compliance with data protection regulations, as all data remains locally in the vehicle and is deleted after a short time.
Passive safety is enhanced by an innovative crash concept that protects the survival space in the event of a head-on collision. Particularly important for electric trucks: high-voltage batteries and components are designed to remain as undamaged as possible even in severe collisions, and the system shuts down automatically. (oe)
