Perfect teamwork: Sideguard Assist and MirrorCam provide for greater safety

2 MinutesBy NZ Trucking magazineMarch 14, 2019

The new Actros has made another huge jump forward with regard to safety. This has been achieved not only with new systems such as Active Drive Assist, but also by improving existing systems such as Sideguard Assist.

Until now the warnings issued by Sideguard Assist in the Actros were shown in the form of an LED light on the A-pillar in the cab‘s interior. In the new Actros, Sideguard Assist now uses the MirrorCam display to warn drivers visually when the system detects a moving or stationary object in the monitored zone on the passenger side of the truck.

Sideguard Assist can now also support the driver under certain conditions when turning to the left. On trucks with a frame overhang of more than 1.5m behind the last rear axle, there is a risk that the right-hand rear corner of the vehicle may veer out when turning to the left, resulting in a potential collision between the frame overhang and other road users.

Sideguard Assist is not an automatic braking system; instead it works with a multi-stage warning process. If a moving or stationary object is detected in the monitored zone on the passenger side, the driver is first given a visual warning in the form of a triangular warning symbol that lights up in the MirrorCam display on the passenger side. If there is a risk of collision, an additional visual and acoustic warning is also issued: the display then flashes red repeatedly, and after two seconds, lights up red permanently. In addition, a warning tone sounds on the passenger side.

The new Actros is the first series production truck in the world to be equipped with the new MirrorCam. Instead of the usual main and wide-angle mirrors, the system works with digital cameras and displays, with the images being transmitted directly to two displays mounted on the A-pillars in the cab.

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