Brake assist

From ArticleWorld

Brake assist is a term used to describe a braking system that will increase the braking pressure during an emergency braking situation. Mercedes - Benz first introduced this safety feature to the public, in December of 1996. It was originally offered only on their S Class and SL Class vehicles, however, by 1998 Mercedes – Benz made the Brake Assist feature standard equipment on all of their models, they were the first company to do so. Other companies such as BMW and Volvo quickly began to follow Mercedes – Benz lead.

Development

The original development of this technology was a joint effort by TRW/Lucas-Verity and Daimler – Benz. In 1992, research conducted by Mercedes – Benz in their Berlin, Germany driving simulator showed that in emergency braking situations, 90 percent of drivers failed to brake with enough force. With this in mind they developed a braking system that could detect panic braking and increase brake pressure in an emergency braking situation.

Operation

The Brake Assist system (BAS) detects emergency braking situations by measuring the speed at which the brake pedal is being pushed. When the system detects panic braking it will automatically increase the brake boost to maximum force in order to compensate for the human tendency to under too softly. Extensive testing has shown that vehicles equipped with the Brake Assist system have a dramatically improved stopping distance, as much as 20 percent in some cases. The Brake Assist system combined with Anti Lock Brakes (ABS) provides a powerful stopping system that allows drivers to maintain control of the vehicle in an emergency situation.