CRASHING FOR 60 YEARS

FOR 60 YEARS NOW, MERCEDES-BENZ HAS BEEN REALLY CRUNCHING THEM UP: THE FIRST CRASH TEST IN THE HISTORY OF THE BRAND TOOK PLACE ON 10 SEPTEMBER 1959.

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A test car slammed head-on into a solid obstacle. This marked the beginning of a new era in safety research. From then on, this made it possible to study the behaviour of vehicles and occupants in car accidents more closely using test cars and crash test dummies. At present, the Technology Centre for Vehicle Safety (TFS) in Sindelfingen conducts about 900 crash tests plus around 1700 “sled tests” each year. A test mule (body shell or test assembly) is mounted on the test sled and subjected to the forces arising during a real vehicle crash. Mercedes Benz consistently set new standards for crash test procedures and testing facilities that have been adopted across the industry and thereby resulted in improved vehicle safety in the interests of all road users on a lasting basis.

Mercedes-Benz has been conducting systematic crash testing since 1959. To date, more than 14,000 cars have been tested. In addition to passenger cars, Mercedes-Benz also conducts thorough crash testing of vans and heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

“As a safety pioneer, Mercedes Benz has made a decisive contribution to the worldwide establishment of crash tests in the automotive industry”, says Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “They remain indispensable even in the age of computer simulations and ensure the high level of protection our vehicles provide for their occupants and other road users”.