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A demonstration of new accident prevention technologies has fizzled because of not annoying concealment, reports GREG KABLE.
Mercedes-Benz has been left red-faced and a German automotive journalist was sacked after revelations that they plotted to a doctor accident prevention test for an exhibition on one of the highest rating television programs of Germany.
The crash demonstration test, the Mercedes-Benz safety center in Germany in early November, was intended to highlight the ability of the crash avoidance technology in the new S-Class
The plan was to drive a new S-Class into a car parked in an artificial cloud of fog and relying on radar system that detects obstacles and applies maximum braking pressure to prevent an accident.
At the wheel of the Mercedes test car was Michael Specht, senior journalist at Auto Bild magazine, tested the system the day before in an outdoor test area.
Everything was fine until safety engineers Mercedes-Benz found the steel walls of the Safety Center interfered with the accident prevention system of the radar unit in the outdoor demonstration earlier, it worked perfectly.
However, in six of 10 races completed in the Security Center before demonstrating the media, the system has failed, according to senior Mercedes.
Instead of canceling the test display, however, Mercedes-Benz helped to move forward, revealing Specht problems caused by steel walls surrounding and suggesting he stop the car in a way which simulate the actions of the radar and braking systems.
As a safeguard, the Mercedes-Benz safety engineers placed a wooden board on the ground to mark the point where Specht should apply the brakes.
Despite all this, Mercedes-Benz has not revealed other journalists, including a reporter from Stern TV, he had secretly rigged the demonstration test in cooperation with Specht after the system failed to function properly.
With TV cameras rolling Stern, Specht then drove the S-Class in the main hall of the Security Center and a thick cloud of fog.
But without the aid provided by the hydraulic brake assist system more, he was unable to apply sufficient braking force and 250,000 Mercedes slammed into the back of the car parked.
In an interview immediately after the incident, a TV Specht said clearly shaken Stern had not reacted quickly enough in the activation of both S-class brakes rang acoustic warning Distronic Plus.
But a replay showed no audible warning was echoed by a number of microphones placed around the car by the technicians of the German television program.
At the same time, questions have been raised about the presence of the wooden board.
In addition to the Stern TV microphones have also taken suggestions from Mercedes staff to move further back wooden board to lengthen the critical braking distance.
Mercedes head of security, Karl-Heinz Baumann, was forced to admit reluctantly that the system had failed, but he agreed to let Specht take a second race in another S-Class.
As suspicions about the authenticity of the first event has increased, a journalist from Stern TV Juergen Brand, asked if he could accompany Specht in the car for the second race.
His application was refused because of fears that it would detect that the system was not working because of the lack of a sound signal when the radar detects an obstacle, a warning beep sounds in the cabin with the plank wood moved back, the second demonstration was conducted without incident, but then serious doubts about the test had arisen.
It was only after Stern TV producers have studied their images and questioned the authenticity of the test that Mercedes admitted that he withheld information about the system's inability to operate in its own security center.
We failed to inform Stern TV and I'm not proud of Ulrich Mellingh, head of Mercedes active safety, said Stern TV in an interview in the studio.
In hindsight, we should cancel the test there and then, but we were concerned about the adverse impact such action may have thrown the ability of crash avoidance system to play in the real world.
For its part in the concealment, Specht was sacked by Auto Bild, who claims he was not to deceive the public.
In the Drive experience, accident prevention technology is not foolproof At the international launch of the Mercedes S-Class at the beginning of this year, two journalists managed to collide in an accident at low speed tail nose, photo of the incident prompted Mercedes to remind drivers that electronic aids will not get out of physics If you go too fast, you go too fast, said a Mercedes childminder at the time.
The demonstration started showing an old C-Class sedan crashing into an offset barrier.
The C-Class was then hit from behind - as expected - by a current model S-Class.
In the last pass, a reporter drove a new S-Class to the damaged cars in order to test the new prevention of accidents assisted radar technology.
Because the work didn t radar technology in the crash test center, the pilot decided to brake manually, judge its distance with a wooden board placed on the ground, he braked too late and hit the back crash earlier S-Class.
TV crew asked why a plank of wood to be placed on the ground if the system used radar to detect an obstacle such as a parked car.
Checking its embedded audio recording equipment, television team found that there was no warning alarm sound barriers.
Mercedes has finally admitted that there was a cover-TV Stern has since performed the test 40 times in an outdoor test area with a pass rate of 100 percent.
See the controversial video of the simulated crash test below attention, however, the site and video is in German, but it gives you an idea of the controversy created from what was supposed to be a simple safety demonstration.
You will need Windows Media Player Once on the site, select DSL or ISDN and click the button starten Video.
Read the original statement of Mercedes-Benz here.
The defective brake test is not the first security embarrassment for Mercedes during the last decade.
Most notable is the infamous moose test, which showed the new age class could overthrow in a situation of emergency lurch, prompting Mercedes to redesign the car to allay public concerns to see history Merc more nightmare.
Mercedes has also received criticism in recent years the quality of its vehicles, with many homeowners conscious Glitches quality the most notable was the M-Class, which has prompted Mercedes to admit there was a problem Read about admitting Benz 2002 M-Class was built for a fresh new face price, same story.
But it wasn t until the new M-Class arrived in 2005 that the bugs have been ironed Read more in new Mercedes M-Class
But one of the biggest wake-up calls for the oldest automotive brand in the world has also been one of the most expensive; a reminder 1 3 million cars to fix security issues and attack head on Read all about quality problems in the problems accumulate for DaimlerChrysler.
Crash test scandal Mercedes Motoring News, mercedes, crash test car.