M-B India initiates ‘Safe Roads’ CSR initiative

A joint venture CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative between the entire Mercedes-Benz group and associated companies like Mercedes-Benz India (MBIL), Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) and Daimler Financial Services India (DFS) has been inaugurated in New Delhi today, called the ‘Safe Roads’ initiative. The collaborative initiative of the Mercedes-Benz group companies along with JP Research, Apollo Hospitals and IIT Delhi, the partner organizations show support with in-depth research information and data on the existing condition of road safety in the country. These research reports also will also provide indicators of how the situation can be improved upon through education and enforcement of traffic rules.

Showcasing that safety is a primary concern for the manufacturer, irrespective of the field, the combined entity has begun this initiative to bring awareness to the problem of road safety. A point that the German manufacturer has brought up, is that no matter how technologically advanced their car is, unlawful human error still accounts a whopping 140,000 people who die every year of road accidents. Mercedes-Benz has projections that their initiative of creating more awareness, once put into action, will reduce by over 70 per cent in a span of 10 years through education and enforcement of safety rules via the creation of awareness.

This unique initiative was flagged off at Pragati Maidan by Jochen Feese, Head of Accident Research, Sensor Functions and Pedestrian Protection, Mercedes-Benz Cars, in the presence of Eberhard Kern, Managing Director & CEO, MBIL, Erich Nesselhauf, MD & CEO, DICV and Manu Saale, MD & CEO, MBRDI.

Not limited to being a one-time event, this initiative will spread throughout the country (Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru), communicating the message of road safety through physical demonstration, visual aids and research reports. The physical demonstration will be undertaken with the use of exhibits that have been brought from Germany providing a real life experience of safety measures that can potentially save lives during road accidents:

1. The Belt-Slide exhibit enables visitors to experience the impact of seat belts in a simulated crash environment at low speed. The aim is to increase the percentage of seat belts usage for front row passengers including driver.

2. Airbags will also be on display (driver and passenger airbags, curtain airbags, knee bags, etc.)

3. A ‘Body in White’ (BiW) passenger car exhibit highlights some of the core elements of a car structure which have high tensile strength that can absorb most of the energy during a crash and minimize passenger car intrusions.

4. Alcohol goggles on display also provide a unique experience. Wearing these special types of glasses simulates the common ‘walk-the-line’ activity which causes loss of balance and delayed reaction times. Visitors will feel their susceptibility to impairments and realize the potential severe consequences due to alcohol consumption.

5. An absolute highlight is the original ESF (Experimental Safety) vehicle. The ESF 2009 will be on display to showcase a glimpse of future of safety. The ESF illustrates trailblazing innovations in the field of safety like PRE-SAFE, Braking Bag, Interactive Vehicle Communication, etc., some of which have already found their introduction into current products.