Virtually no other area inspires Mercedes-Benz engineers more than researching new safety technologies. They passed their first key safety milestone as early as the 1950s with the development of the passenger safety cell, invented by Béla Barényi. Today it is one of numerous elements of an integrated safety concept that edges Mercedes-Benz vehicles closer to our vision of accident-free driving.

Most accidents start long before the actual collision: with a lapse in concentration, poor visibility or unanticipated hazards. That’s why the Mercedes-Benz safety concept employs a range of measures to support safe driving in everyday operation and to help you bring critical situations under control.

Mercedes-Benz stands for automotive safety. That’s why our vehicles support their passengers even in the most critical driving situations, to ensure that every drive is as good as possible.

Stability, including directional stability of the SL is the responsibility of the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®). Sensors register driver and vehicle behaviour. A microprocessor uses these data, and in critical situations it can automatically intervene with targeted brake impulses. Thanks to its highly-sensitive sensors, the system can even detect a sudden loss of tyre pressure and warn the driver.

If you make an emergency stop from an initial speed of more than 50 km/h the adaptive brake lights flash 5.5 times per second. This flashing of the brake lights warns the vehicles behind you, which can give them more time to react. If the vehicle is braked to a complete stop from a speed in excess of 70 km/h, the hazard warning lamps are also switched on.

Cars from Mercedes-Benz have a host of safety systems to prevent accidents. Should the worst come to the worst, however, a number of occupant safety measures are activated. They include protection for the vehicle occupants as well as for other road users.