SLK Roadster: Safety

Mercedes-Benz Safety

The integrated safety concept from Mercedes-Benz


Virtually no other area inspires the Mercedes-Benz engineers to produce such consistently impressive results as much as research into new safety technologies. The first important safety milestone was reached back in the 1950s with the development of the passenger safety cell, invented by Béla Barényi. Today it is just one of many components of the integral safety concept which edges us ever closer to our vision of accident-free driving.

Phase 1: Safe driving


For safe driving, the Mercedes-Benz safety concept supports you using many different measures: the control and display system is especially tailored to the driver. Then there are systems which are designed to alert and assist the driver in critical situations.

DISTRONIC PLUS proximity-controlled cruise control including PRE-SAFE® brake (optional)

Adaptive brake lights

ATTENTION ASSIST

ADAPTIVE BRAKE braking system

Intelligent Light System with LED daytime running lamps and cornering light function[1]

Phase 2: In the event of danger


Many accidents can be prevented right up to a few seconds before impact. This very short period of time is at the heart of the PRE-SAFE® system. Mercedes-Benz first introduced the system in 2002 and has continued to develop it ever since. PRE-SAFE® can sense critical situations and prevent accidents as well reduce their after-effects.

The PRE-SAFE® electronics of the all new SLK process this information and initiate preventive measures to protect occupants in response to typical dangerous situations. These measures include automatic tensioning of the seat belts, automatic positioning of the passenger seat (in conjunction with the memory function) and automatic closure of side windows.

Phase 3: In an accident


A host of safety systems work together in the all new SLK to prevent accidents. Should the worst come to the worst, however, a number of occupant safety measures are activated. They include protection for the vehicle occupants as well as for other road users:

  • At the core: the extremely rigid passenger cell and crumple zones ensure a high level of occupant safety. The reinforced A-pillar and the rollover bars also give the Roadster outstanding structural strength.
  • If required: depending on the accident type, the six airbags and belt systems are selectively activated. The sensor system only activates the restraint systems that are actually needed.
  • All-round protection: depending on the predicted severity of a collision, the adaptive front airbags in the SLK can be deployed in two stages (in a minor collision, in the first deployment stage the airbag is only partially filled). In side-on collisions exceeding a defined threshold, newly-developed head and sidebags in the flanks of the seat backrests are deployed on the impact side. The headbags deploy from the upper edge of the door inner sides, the sidebags are integrated on the outside edges of the seat backrests.
  • Safety is all in the head: crash-responsive head restraints improve occupant protection and help to reduce the risk of whiplash injury. In the event of a rear-end collision the head restraints are instantly displaced by around 40 mm towards the front and 30 mm upwards, providing support for the seat occupant's head at an earlier stage.
  • Intelligent protection for other road users: the standard active bonnet function can help reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians or cyclists colliding into the bonnet if the car is travelling at a speed between 25 and 55 km/h. To cushion the blow, the bonnet springs up by approx. 8.5 centimetres at the rear.

Phase 4: After an accident


To reduce consequential damage after an accident and support the work of the rescue services, a number of different actions are initiated, depending on the type and severity of the accident:

  • Optimum protection: The engine can be turned off automatically and the fuel supply can be cut off.
  • Safe lighting: hazard and emergency interior lights can activate to lower the risk of accidents and help locate the car.
  • Aiding escape: the side windows can be partially lowered and the door locking mechanism can be automatically released.
  • Measure to aid rescue: integral crash joints between the wing and the door can make opening the doors after a frontal collision easier.


Mercedes-Benz has also published multilingual rescue guidelines (accessible worldwide on the internet) as a source of information for rescue services.

[1] Optional on SLK 200. Standard on SLK 350.

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