ahead of it.If a truck moving at 50 kilometers per hour approaches a stationary obstacle and begins braking fully 15 meters away from it, the energy of the collision is reduced by approximately 95 percent. This decreased energy leads to a reduction in damage and the mitigation of the results of the accident.In many cases, the Emergency Braking System also helps avoid accidents altogether. In over 90 percent of crashes, the difference in speed between the truck that has supposedly caused the accident and the vehicle ahead of it is less than 50 kilometers per hour. If the vehicle ahead is moving more slowly, PROTECTOR brakes the truck until it is at a certain safe distance. Even on a wet road, much is accomplished as a result, since just five meters of extra braking difference is enough to reduce the energy of a crash by 50 percent at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. As soon as a technically and economically feasible friction recognition system can be developed, PROTECTOR successor generations will also be able to take into account the condition of the road in their calculations.PROTECTOR's potential lies in its ability to prevent 80 percent of all truck-truck rear-end collisions and more than 30 percent of all truck accidents on highways. This effectively means that the majority of truck accidents resulting in injury would be avoided. Lane Assistant keeps Trucks on CourseDaimlerChrysler's Lane Assistant for trucks and buses.Like the automatic braking system, the Lane Assistant can also prevent accidents. It warns the driver as soon as he or she is in danger of leaving the lane. A characteristic sound-that of a washboard-causes the driver to automatically steer in such a way that the vehicle regains its course.Any instance of inattentiveness at the wheel entails a risk to safety. Fatigue, adjusting the radio or speaking on the telephone without a hands-free unit-all of these distract a driver. A moment of surprise can, in the worst cas...
