Mercedes-Benz launches Safe Roads CSR initiative in India

Mercedes-Benz and its group companies Mercedes-Benz India Ltd (MBIL), Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), Mercedes-Benz Research & Development India (MBRDI) and Daimler Financial Services India (DFS) have inaugurated their Corporate Social Responsibility initiative called ‘Safe Roads’ in New Delhi today.

In India, around 140,000 people die every year due to road accidents, largely caused by ignorance of safety norms and rules. Mercedes-Benz says ‘Safety Roads’ is an initiative to reduce this alarming number of fatalities on Indian roads by creating more awareness on road safety.

Safe Roads is a road show that spreads the message of road safety through physical demonstration, visual aids and research reports. The physical demonstration will be undertaken with the use of exhibits brought from Germany, providing a real life experience of safety measures that can potentially save lives during road accidents.

The Belt-Slide exhibit enables visitors to experience the impact of seatbelts in a simulated crash environment at low speed. The aim is to increase the percentage of seatbelt usage for front row passsengers including the driver.

Airbags (driver and passenger airbags, curtain airbags, knee bags) will also be on display.

A Body-In-White passenger car exhibit highlights some of the core elements of a car’s structure which have high tensile strengths that can absorb most of the energy during a crash and minimize passenger car intrusions.

Alcohol goggles also provide a unique experience. Wearing these special glasses helps simulate the common ‘walk-in-line’ activity which causes loss of balance and delayed reaction times. Visitors will feel their susceptibility to impairments and realise the potential severe consequences due to alcohol consumption.

A big highlight of the Safe Roads experience is the original ESF (Experimental Safety) vehicle (shown above). The ESF 2009 will showcase a glimpse of the future of safety. It illustrates innovations like Pre-Safe, Braking Bag and Interactive Vehicle Communication, some of which have already found their way into current products. 

Commenting on the Safe Roads initiative, Eberhard Kern, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said: “At Mercedes-Benz, safety is of utmost importance and precedes all our innovations and development. Mercedes-Benz’s contribution to the global automotive industry is well recognized and has an enduring influence on safety development. Our numerous innovations, particularly in the field of protection for vehicle occupants and road users, have saved countless human lives over the years.

Our latest contribution to customer safety is that all Mercedes-Benz vehicles in India now come equipped with new rescue stickers with QR Codes, which assist the rescuer to find out where exactly should the rescue tools be positioned on the cars, making occupant rescue harmless and safer, in case of an accident. We are confident that initiatives like Safe Roads will enhance the understanding of vehicle safety systems and spread awareness on creating safer roads for vehicle users in India. We strongly need to address not only various behavioural aspecsts of the vehicle users and the related infrastructural measures, but also consider making our vehicles safer and smarter by introducing advanced safety features and driver assistance systems.”

Erich Nesselhauf, MD and CEO, DICV, said: “With the Safe Roads initiative, we hope to educate road users on the availability of technology that helps to reduce the number of accidents in the future. This is not only relevant to passenger cars but also our truck business. For instance, BharatBenz has already implemented ABS ahead of the mandatory requirement. It was also a conscious decision to offer a fully built cabin, LED tail-lamps and driver ergonomics for safer driving conditions. We also offer driver training assistance to sensitise drivers. As infrastructure in the country improves, the need for powerful trucks will increase. At BharatBenz, safety, reliability and quality are of prime importance.”

Manu Saale, MD and CEO, MBRDI, added: “Technology and innovation is a key factor that has helped reduce accident rates in the past. Accidents and resulting fatalities can not only be greatly reduced through innovative technologies but also through responsible driver and passenger behaviour. Mercedes-Benz has developed state-of-the-art safety features that have proven to be effective. In MBRDI alone, there are over 100 engineers contributing to these technologies in active and passive safety of Mercedes-Benz vehicles with 54 patents filed on automotive safety. While there are some policy and regulatory hurdles that exist in order to apply them in India, we hope that the Safe Roads initiative will enhance the road user’s awareness of such technologies.”