Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC

The Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC system reveals just how far Mercedes-Benz has come in terms of vehicle safety.

Available in vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC offers level two autonomous driving, aiding the driver in multiple ways. It uses Adaptive Cruise Control to adjust the vehicle's speed and maintain a safe distance from the car ahead, and Active Lane Keeping Assist to gently steer the vehicle back into the centre of its lane.

When activated, the system can also initiate Automatic Lane Change – a feature that’s yet to arrive locally, but will be capable of overtaking a slower-moving vehicle at speeds of 80-140 km/h. This will only occur on freeways when there is a clear path of travel and the driver has both hands on the wheel.

By automatically responding to changing road conditions, Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC helps reduce driver fatigue, enhance comfort and improve safety – particularly on long drives or in heavy traffic. It is easily activated and deactivated via the steering wheel and can be manually overridden at any time by pressing the brake.

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is a step on the journey toward more automated driving. Mercedes-Benz recently developed the world’s first internationally certified conditional automated driving system (SAE Level 3) known as DRIVE PILOT. Offering conditionally automated driving at up to 60 km/h on highways, DRIVE PILOT can detect unexpected traffic situations and cope with them independently.

At level three automated driving, a vehicle can safely take over most of the driving tasks and give back valuable time to the driver. While this is currently available on selected Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Germany, California and Nevada only, it offers some insight into the future of vehicle safety, and the brand’s ongoing commitment to innovation and putting safer systems on the road.

“The ultimate goal of Mercedes-Benz is zero road fatalities,” says Jochen. “We are sticking to that goal, that vision, and we strongly believe that the technologies we have coming up will bring us closer and closer to achieving it.”