Mercedes-Benz holds over 85,000 patents for the automobile most of which are safety related.  Through the introduction of these numerous pioneering safety solutions and technologies, Mercedes-Benz continues to define new standards for vehicle safety.  One of the latest to be introduced is Collision Prevention Assist Plus or CPA+ for short.  A part of the larger Intelligent Drive System, CPA+ adds autonomous braking to the current Collision Prevention Assist System.

Collision Prevention Assist uses radar to constantly monitor closing speeds between your Mercedes-Benz and the moving vehicles around it.  If the system determines that a collision is likely, it will provide you with an audible warning and help you apply the ideal level of braking.  The newly added “Plus” feature provides autonomous braking if the driver fails to respond for whatever reason.

At the Mercedes-Benz C/GLA Live training event that is currently in progress for dealer personal, we were able to experience this amazing technology first hand in a controlled environment.  I’ll tell you, it is the most unnatural feeling when the instructor tells you to point the car in the direction of a foam wall, accelerate to around 12 mph (I was at 17mph at time of impact), and don’t lift your foot from the accelerator pedal.  Every part of you tells you screams to avoid the obstacle or apply the brakes.  Yes, there were a few people in my class that hit the wall because they lifted from the gas pedal, jerked the wheel, or started to apply the brakes and let off, therefore overriding the safety system.  The system is designed to be overridden if the driver provides input to the steering system, gas pedal or brakes.

The Collision Prevention Assist Plus System can detect stationary objects when driving at speeds up to 45mph and offers autonomous braking and impact avoidance up to 25mph (on recognized stationary objects).  While the system provides autonomous braking, it can and will be overwritten by user inputs such as avoidance maneuvers via the steering wheel, gas pedal or brakes.

For the obvious reason, this is a system you don’t want to have to experience in real life, but in the event where collision is imminent you’ll be glad to have it.  One might ask “how much is this potentially life saving technology?”…FREE.  Yes, that is correct the CPA+ System is now standard equipment on the following vehicles for 2015.  The all new C-Class, CLA, GLA, E-Class, CLS, and S-Class.