The radar-based Collision Prevention Assist (CPA) safety system, shown bottom right, combines Distronic Plus, Adaptive Brake Assist, Pre-Safe, other active and passive safety systems, and the communications among their sensors and control modules to enable the driver and, if necessary, the vehicle to react sooner than the driver acting alone could.

Here’s a short brief about what these and other individual Mercedes-Benz safety systems do:

Attention Assist gives an early warning of driver fatigue.

There are electronic crush zones, too.

Distronic Plus provides more responsive proximity control at speeds between zero and 124mph by automatically adjusting the distance to the vehicles in front.

Brake Assist Plus recognizes an impending collision using radar sensors, then calculates and provides the necessary degree of braking assistance when the brake pedal is depressed.

Blind Spot Assist warns the driver when vehicles are detected in the area of poor visibility and, with Active Blind Spot Assist, counteracts a possible collision by applying the brakes if necessary.

Safety is more than skin deep.

Pre-Safe combines active and passive safety synergies to reduce the loads exerted by up to 40 percent on the vehicle occupants from before an accident, at the moment of impact, through the crash and in the moments after the event.

Active Lane Keeping Assist warns the driver as soon as it detects that the driver has unintentionally left a recognized marked lane; if necessary, the system can react with a lane-correcting brake application.

Park Assist carries out the steering maneuvers required for the parking process, leaving the driver to operate the brake and accelerator.

Accessing and using the most current and accurate service information is essential to complete, safe repair of a vehicle that has crashed. Collision facilities and technicians can find critical Mercedes-Benz information pertaining to safety systems, frame alignment and more at www.startekinfo.com.

Repairers need to be aware that safety system sensors, modules, and other components are often are located in “crush zones” and hidden from view. For example, the S-Class front bumper has four radar sensors located inside the front bumper, as shown above. In addition, Distronic Plus proximity sensors are typically fitted to a plate in front of the radiator grill. In addition, the control modules for these sensors can be situated in other crush zones, such as in rear quarter panel structures of many models. Repair, replacement and painting service information, procedures, and other Mercedes-Benz requirements are available at www.startekinfo.com.

Sensors for radar- and camera-based safety systems are typically located in the front and rear bumpers. Control modules, however, are usually positioned on the inside edge of left and right rear quarter panels, areas that are also vulnerable in a collision.