Mercedes-Benz organises pioneering safety conference
An ambitious conference on automotive safety is to be held in Stuttgart in spring 2009, when Mercedes-Benz will bring together experts in this increasingly pertinent field.
The Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) has been conceived in collaboration with Germany’s Federal Highway Research Institute, and it is hoped it will function as a catalyst for the industry as a whole.
A major player in the world of automotive safety, the ESV Conference traditionally attracts engineers, politicians and representatives from a number of official bodies.
Integrated vehicle safety was the focus of this year’s conference in Lyon, which allowed Mercedes-Benz to demonstrate some of the technologies that have made it an industry leader for many years.
The anticipatory occupant protection system, PRE-SAFE, is an example of the progress Mercedes-Benz has made in this area and it also points the way for other manufacturers hoping to improve safety.
The conference in 2009 will be the 21st such event and Mercedes-Benz will use the opportunity to stress its long tradition and trendsetting role in the field of vehicle safety. Particularly significant in 2009 is the 70th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz safety department, which was formed by Bela Barenyi.
Dr Thomas Weber, member of the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management for Research and Development, observed: "The purpose of this major conference is to underline the importance of Stuttgart and Sindelfingen as automotive industry locations with a rich tradition, where systematic car safety development commenced under Bela Barenyi in 1939, and which have brought forth many trailblazing technologies for safer driving."
Innovations in the intervening years have included the crumple zone, the airbag, the belt tensioner and the windowbag, all of which have had a huge impact upon the safety of vehicles. Mercedes-Benz has also been responsible for ESP and Brake Assist, which were developed thanks to ground-breaking safety research.
What are these icons ?
