MAN Truck & Bus continues its innovations in the field of safe driving. MAN Truck & Bus, the only manufacturer to offer an assistance system for all new bus models, helps prevent serious bus accidents with its newly developed smart MAN SafeStop Assist.

Nowadays, serious accidents can occur while driving due to drivers’ inability to control their vehicles due to possible medical or other reasons. The smart MAN SafeStop Assist, developed by MAN Truck & Bus for such possible emergencies and offered in all new bus models, helps prevent such accidents. The active intervention system MAN SafeStop Assist, which consists of the sophisticated interaction of several highly developed assistance systems, automatically stops the vehicle safely in an emergency.

Barbaros Oktay, President of MAN Bus Group, said, “It is a common situation for the driver to suddenly become unable to move due to unforeseen events such as medical emergencies. The consequences of this can be devastating. Our experience shows that in such situations it is not uncommon for buses and coaches to run off the road or collide with other road users. That’s why MAN Truck & Bus experts worked intensively on a new assistance system. “They have developed the intelligent MAN SafeStop Assist, which is offered optionally for MAN Lion’s Intercity, MAN Lion’s Coach, NEOPLAN Tourliner and NEOPLAN Skyliner,” he said.

MAN Truck & Bus Bus Product Marketing Manager Heinz Kiess said: “No other manufacturer offers such a system for all existing bus models. However, this is not why it is one of the most important innovations of the 2024 model year, but rather its ability to prevent serious accidents. All data collected through the system is brought together and evaluated. “In this way, SafeStop Assist can detect the state of driver activity and therefore also possible inactivity,” he said and added:

“Thanks to the intelligent interplay of various highly advanced systems such as caution protection, lane keeping and emergency braking assistants, we have managed to greatly increase safety for drivers, passengers and other road users. Of course, if possible, the driver can take back control at any time. The emergency stop initiated by the system can be canceled immediately by downshifting. MAN SafeStop Assist increases safety when driving buses and helps prevent serious accidents.”

It intervenes in the driving process with three stages of warning and braking

The basis of SafeStop Assist is that the active intervention system detects when the driver is no longer able to move. For this purpose, the assistance system uses the driving activity recognition feature of the active lane keeping system as well as the functionality of the adaptive cruise control (ACC Stop & Go). The system also constantly monitors the distance, position and relative speed of objects in front, as well as lane maintenance, with the help of a sensor integrated in the front of the vehicle and a camera located behind the windshield.

If it detects that the driver is no longer active, it intervenes in the driving process in three stages of warning and braking. In the first stage, the driver is asked to take over the steering via a gentle vibration on the steering wheel, accompanied by a warning symbol and text messages on the screen. If the driver does not do this, an audible warning is added to the visual and tactile warning messages. The assistance system also performs progressively heavier partial braking. If the driver still does not react, this time MAN SafeStop Assist initiates an emergency stop and brakes the bus until it stops in its own lane, within the system limits, even on bends.

If the emergency stop is not cancelled, the system automatically activates the hazard warning lights to warn road users following the vehicle. MAN SafeStop Assist also ensures that the bus does not roll away immediately after the vehicle stops. For this purpose, it automatically activates the electronic parking brake by shifting the gear to neutral. It also unlocks the doors and turns on the interior lighting so that emergency assistance can be provided without any problems.