Passive safety system (Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210)

One of the long-standing traditions of Mercedes-Benz is the requirement for universal reliability, which is imposed on each body during its long life in any extreme road and climatic conditions. Therefore, the body is tested comprehensively already in the laboratory. The test program includes long-term tests not only of the supporting part of the body, but also of such components as doors, hood, locks and sunroof. Vibration stands create 70-hour running loads, which usually occur only after 200,000 km of running on bad roads. Together with "road" tests, Mercedes designs and parts "pass" about 25 million km per year in extreme road and climatic conditions. But this is not an end in itself. The safety of the people sitting inside comes first.

In terms of vehicle safety, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class meets the highest requirements. Thanks to its optimised body structure with large deformation zones, it is the safest vehicle in the world.

Every year, more than 100 bodies must undergo rigorous crash tests. The main types of accidents are checked:

• 1. Off-set (head-on) collisions with oncoming traffic, in which 40% of the front of the car is involved in the collision. According to accident statistics, head-on collisions of this type are the most common.
• 2. Strike to the side.
• 3. Accident with vehicle rollover.
• 4. Collision with a heavy obstacle (trees, street lights, trucks or buses).