Mercedes-Benz Trucks Expands Retrofit with Turning Assistants

The turning assistant from Mercedes-Benz Trucks can help to defuse critical traffic situations for all parties involved. The retrofit solution S1R offers the same level of safety as the series solution and is now also available for the latest generation of the Actros, Arocs, and Actros F. Government funding can be applied for the installation of a truck turning assistant.

(Stuttgart) Truck right-turn accidents are particularly dangerous for unprotected road users such as cyclists or pedestrians, but also for truck drivers themselves, making them some of the worst incidents that can occur in urban traffic. To avoid such accidents as much as possible or at least to mitigate their consequences, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has been offering the turning assistant S1R optionally for many models of the Actros, Arocs, or Econic series as a factory-installed solution since 2016. For a large number of these models, the turning assistant is also available as a retrofit solution equivalent to the series version – and since April 2021, this is also true for the latest generation of the Actros and Arocs. The Actros F, the entry-level vehicle into the world of tractors over 18 tons from Mercedes-Benz, can also be retrofitted in this way. Moreover, for models where a turning assistant S1R cannot be installed, Mercedes-Benz Trucks offers the basic turning assistance system for retrofitting.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks thus once again emphasizes its pioneering role in safety. At the same time, the company reinforces its commitment to bringing a high number of driver assistance systems for accident prevention to the roads for both new and existing vehicles.

High Demand for Turning Assistants

The offer of a retrofit is met with great interest from customers of Mercedes-Benz Trucks: Since summer 2020, around 650 Mercedes-Benz trucks have been retrofitted with a turning assistant – whether in the form of the S1R or as the basic turning assistance system. At the same time, more and more transport companies are opting for the factory-installed series solution at the time of purchase. The order rate for this is at a very high level, for example, in Germany and Switzerland, with about 85 percent. “This shows the strong desire of many fleet operators to provide their drivers with trucks that are not only reliable and efficient but also equipped with excellent safety features,” says Andreas von Wallfeld, Head of Marketing, Sales, and Services at Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

The installation of a turning assistant can also be subsidized by the government. This applies to both the retrofit and the factory-offered series solution from Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Customers who take out a vehicle insurance^[1] for their truck or tractor through Mercedes-Benz Bank receive a premium reduction of 15 percent when installing a turning assistant. This also applies to the retrofit solution of the turning assistant S1R.

Multi-Stage Warning Process

The Mercedes-Benz turning assistant S1R proves to be a helpful feature, especially in complex traffic situations and unclear intersections. If there is a risk that a truck driver may not see a cyclist or pedestrian in the “blind spot” while turning right, the system can intervene and warn the driver through a multi-stage process. For visual warnings, the S1R uses the display of the MirrorCam, which is installed in the new Actros and Arocs instead of conventional main and wide-angle mirrors. In a truck with exterior mirrors, warnings are given via an LED display in the A-pillar. The core of the turning assistant consists of two short-range radar sensors mounted on the frame on the passenger side in front of the rear axle of the truck. The system is designed to monitor the length of the entire truck plus two meters in front and up to one meter behind, as well as up to 3.75 meters to the right of the vehicle. It operates in both solo vehicles and in articulated trucks or complete truck combinations up to 18.75 meters in length.

From June 2021, the turning assistant S1R will be replaced in most Actros and Arocs models by the new turning assistant S1X, which includes an additional potentially life-saving function: The so-called Active Sideguard Assist (ASGA), optionally available from the production month of June, can not only warn the driver of cyclists or pedestrians moving on the passenger side but can also initiate an automated braking process to bring the vehicle to a stop if the driver does not react in time, up to a turning speed of 20 km/h.

Ongoing Need for Action

When examining accident statistics more closely, one quickly encounters limitations. The Federal Statistical Office provides general figures on accidents between goods vehicles and unprotected road users such as cyclists and pedestrians, as well as accidents attributed to “turning errors” in its annual reports on official accident statistics. However, there is currently no specific differentiation, for example, between heavy trucks or right-turn accidents. Nevertheless, there is an urgent need for action, especially since many cities and municipalities are increasingly expanding their cycling infrastructure, and mobility on two wheels is expected to continue to increase in the future.

The figures compiled by the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) based on police reports are alarming: In 2020, 40 cyclists lost their lives in Germany due to right-turn accidents involving trucks. In 2019, there were 27, and the year before, 34. The true significance of these numbers only becomes clear when they are put in relation to all cyclists killed in road traffic accidents. In 2020, according to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office, there were 263 fatalities in urban areas and 175 in rural areas, totaling 438. The share of cyclists who were involved in truck right-turn accidents accounted for nearly ten percent in 2020. According to a study published in 2019 by the Institute for Insurance Research based on accident data from motor vehicle liability insurers, the vast majority of these collisions occur in urban areas, suggesting that the share could approach the 15 percent mark. This fact alone underscores the urgency of having a turning assistant in trucks.

^[1] Insurer: KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-AG, Heidenkampsweg 102, 20097 Hamburg, mediated by Mercedes-Benz Bank AG, Siemensstraße 7, 70469 Stuttgart. The general insurance conditions apply.

Photo: © Mercedes Benz Trucks