Mercedes-Benz’s ESF 2009 experimental safety vehicle made one last pitstop before a gaggle of American reporters in northern New Jersey. It offered a tantalizing glimpse of more than a dozen different systems designed to make driving (and crashing) safer.
Closest on the horizon is a new type of child seat, according to the ESF’s project manager, Michael Fehring. The Child Protect System is essentially a child seat with steel reinforced padded bolsters and a cut-out backrest to accommodate children from three to 12 years old. The steel supports and side pads are intended to protect tots from car parts penetrating the interior, and it makes current plastic booster seats look like Tinker Toys. Unfortunately, the seat, which will fit in any vehicle, probably won’t hit the market for three years, said Mr. Fehring.
Further into the future is the possibility of active door supports that pop out on the sides of the car 20 to 30 milliseconds before a crash to protect from side impacts. Complementary to this are “interseat protection” systems, including a firm air bag that deploys near the side the driver’s headrest in the event of a rollover. It’s intended to prevent driver and passenger from injuring each other.
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