2011 Mercedes SLK Safety Features

The next generation of the Mercedes Benz SLK will be officially launched in January next year and will implement a bundle of new efficient safety technologies. As standard, the car will feature Adaptive Brake and Attention Assist systems. The Adaptive Brake will hold the automobile at a stop light or at an incline without forcing the driver to maintain his foot on the brake pedal so that the car will go in reverse. This innovative system will bring the SLK’s brake pads in contact with the brake disks once the driver’s foot is removed from the accelerator for a fast response which will also aid the driver to keep full control even during rainy conditions when the asphalt is wet.

The Attention Assist system will announce the driver with various warnings to avoid collisions thanks to features like a drowsiness detector. As an optional feature, the 2011 SLK can be equipped with a Distronic Plus proximity system that can fully adjust the distance to the car in front to a safer level or with a Pre-Safe Brake system (which was initially introduced by Volvo) that is capable of detecting possible imminent crashes with the aid of various sensors that will try to stop the car on its own.

The SLK can be equipped with a Speed Limit Assist feature that can detect limit signs with the help of a camera located inside the windscreen which will indicate the respective detected speed limit on a display in the instrument cluster. Another important safety feature is the Intelligent Light System that has the following five functions: Enhanced fog lamps, Active Light System, Motorway mode, Country mode and Cornering light function – which can be activated depending upon the various driving conditions.

The PARKTRONIC system will include Parking Guidance which will ease the life of the driver while parking the SLK thanks to the ultrasonic sensors that are able to measure the length of parking spaces as the car drives past. The driver will look onto the cockpit display where he will receive a schematic representation of the most recommended parking method.

The engineers at Mercedes also took into consideration the safety of the pedestrians when they designed the 2011 SLK model. The car will be equipped with a sensor system that is capable of registering an impact with a pedestrian and can guarantee that the bonnet is instantly raised at 85 mm which will create an additional space between the various parts in the engine compartment and the bonnet of the SLK. This will result in lower acceleration values for the head of the pedestrian during the collision which will reduce the risk of serious injuries.

In order to detect an impact with a pedestrian, the SLK will come standard with acceleration sensors in the front bumper and additional pressure sensors in the doors. In the case of an accident, the SLK’s lateral satellite and up-front sensors help the central control unit to predict the severity and nature of the collision.

For the people in the car, the German engineers installed a new headbag system and crash-responsive head restraints. The safety standards of the Mercedes are guaranteed by the seat belts that have speed-sensitive belt force limiters and belt buckle tensioners. The headbag will offer a more generous lateral support for the head impact area. The extra (optional) thorax airbag located in the seat backrest will efficiently protect the upper side of the body in the unfortunate event of a side collision.

We are very eager to find out what other features will the next generation of the Mercedes SLK bring once the car is officially launched in January.

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