Daimler Buses introduces 4th generation Active Brake Assist for its coaches

Daimler Buses has introduced the 4^th generation of Active Brake Assist  (ABA 4) for its touring coaches and has said that it will become a standard equipment for all Mercedes-Benz and Setra touring coaches from 2019. The company has also introduced an active emergency braking assist system for city buses.

The fourth generation of Active Brake Assist introduced in the long touring is said to be one of the first to have braking manoeuvres for pedestrians as well. Under this feature, all the options are kept open to the driver, wherein they could warn the pedestrians using the horn, evade them with the bus or carry out an emergency stop. The basis for ABA 4 is the multi-mode radar system with a combination of long-range and short-range radar. Till Oberworder, head of Daimler Buses enthuses: "We are certain that Active Brake Assist 4 will not only prevent accidents, it will save lives."

Prevention is better than injuring
Mercedes-Benz stakes claim to the world premiere of an active emergency braking assist system for city buses with the ability to warn of a potential collision with moving pedestrians as well as with stationary or moving objects. The system is designed to initiate partial braking in the event of a critical risk of collision and the driver is provided with the option to opt for an emergency stop at any time. The system is designed to reduce the risk of injury for passengers on the bus, in particular for standing passengers.

Assisting at every turn
Mercedes-Benz and Setra have also introduced an optional turning assistance system called the ‘Safeguard Assist’ with pedestrian detection. Mercedes‑Benz offers it for the city bus Citaro in all versions including the large-capacity bus CapaCity and for the high-deck touring coach Tourismo. Setra offers it for its touring coaches of the ComfortClass 500 and TopClass 500 including the Setra S 531 DT double-decker bus.

Sideguard Assist operates in several stages: If there is a moving object in the side monitoring zone, the driver is given a visual warning. On the touring coaches, an LED in the shape of a yellow triangle lights up at the driver's eye level in the side mirror on the co-driver's side and in the instrument cluster. On the Citaro, it is integrated into the A0-pillar on the door side. The lamp draws the driver's attention intuitively towards the situation alongside the vehicle. If the sensors detect the risk of a collision, there is an additional visual warning in the form of a red triangular LED, as well as a vibration warning in the driver's seat. The centrepiece of Sideguard Assist is a radar sensor system with two short-range radar sensors on the co-driver side. They are located in the trim immediately aft of the right front wheel. The side monitoring zone has a width of 3.75 m. On the city bus, the system covers the entire length of the bus, complemented by two strips to the front and rear of about two metres each. On the touring coach, in addition to the entire length of the vehicle, an area of five metres in front of and up to 15 metres behind the bus is always covered.