New Mercedes CLA causes accident!
Discussion
What Car Magazine recently filmed the CLA. And as you can see, more than once during their time with the car, it decided that the best thing to do, was perform an emergency stop for no f
king reason! In one case causing the car behind it to rear end it!
These st systems are so badly calibrated nowadays they need to be banned immediately!
Mercedes UK press office, of course say "its not a problem, and the car is working fine" and have the temerity to blame the photographer in the car in front!
Only a matter of time before this becomes a regular thing! And Mercedes are on the TV trying to cover their arse!
I briefly drove a friends A class (177) last year, and just moving at slow speeds in a car park, it decided there was a risk and jammed the brakes on for no reason. I genuinely thought Id been rear ended at speed it was so violent!
king reason! In one case causing the car behind it to rear end it!These s
t systems are so badly calibrated nowadays they need to be banned immediately!Mercedes UK press office, of course say "its not a problem, and the car is working fine" and have the temerity to blame the photographer in the car in front!
Only a matter of time before this becomes a regular thing! And Mercedes are on the TV trying to cover their arse!
I briefly drove a friends A class (177) last year, and just moving at slow speeds in a car park, it decided there was a risk and jammed the brakes on for no reason. I genuinely thought Id been rear ended at speed it was so violent!
Two extremely relevant details the OP chose to ignore for the actual event where the collision occurred.
The car in front that caused the braking to occur had a photographer travelling in the open boot of that car, at speed and in close proximity, and the car behind that rear ended the CLA was driving too close and couldn't stop in time.
It doesn't seem at all surprising that the automatic braking might activate if it detects a person in that scenario, it's hardly a normal driving event.
Nothing to see here methinks.
The car in front that caused the braking to occur had a photographer travelling in the open boot of that car, at speed and in close proximity, and the car behind that rear ended the CLA was driving too close and couldn't stop in time.
It doesn't seem at all surprising that the automatic braking might activate if it detects a person in that scenario, it's hardly a normal driving event.
Nothing to see here methinks.
The reason the Model 3 rear ended the CLA was that the journalist driving the Model 3 was driving too close to the CLA, when the AEB in the CLA kicked in.
In the real world, any human driver could themselves brake sharply or do an emergency stop, for whatever reason, so if you are driving too close to the car in front, what do you expect.
In the real world, any human driver could themselves brake sharply or do an emergency stop, for whatever reason, so if you are driving too close to the car in front, what do you expect.
BunkMoreland said:
What Car Magazine recently filmed the CLA. And as you can see, more than once during their time with the car, it decided that the best thing to do, was perform an emergency stop for no fking reason! In one case causing the car behind it to rear end it!
These st systems are so badly calibrated nowadays they need to be banned immediately!
Mercedes UK press office, of course say "its not a problem, and the car is working fine" and have the temerity to blame the photographer in the car in front!
Only a matter of time before this becomes a regular thing! And Mercedes are on the TV trying to cover their arse!
I briefly drove a friends A class (177) last year, and just moving at slow speeds in a car park, it decided there was a risk and jammed the brakes on for no reason. I genuinely thought Id been rear ended at speed it was so violent!
Slightly biased view from you of course. These systems are never perfect but that doesn’t mean we shouldnt progress with them. Undoubtably they have saved many many many multiples of accidents from happening. ABS wasn’t always perfect maybe we shouldn’t have bothered. Airbags weren’t perfect maybe we should not have bothered etc etc etc. king reason! In one case causing the car behind it to rear end it!These s
t systems are so badly calibrated nowadays they need to be banned immediately!Mercedes UK press office, of course say "its not a problem, and the car is working fine" and have the temerity to blame the photographer in the car in front!
Only a matter of time before this becomes a regular thing! And Mercedes are on the TV trying to cover their arse!
I briefly drove a friends A class (177) last year, and just moving at slow speeds in a car park, it decided there was a risk and jammed the brakes on for no reason. I genuinely thought Id been rear ended at speed it was so violent!
My GLA did an emergency brake driving on a completely clear road the other day - certainly gave me and the car behind me a shock. The road was curving around a slight bend and there were some pedestrians walking on the narrow pavement towards me on the inside of the turn. If the car behind had been driving too close behind me there is no doubt it would have caused an accident.
I have also had the car try to swerve dangerously into roadworks where cones were put to divert traffic across the lanes of a motorway and the lane assist didn’t understand what was happening.
I totally get what these ‘driving aids’ are trying to achieve and will be grateful for any time they might prevent an accident but so far have been more dangerous than successful.
I have also had the car try to swerve dangerously into roadworks where cones were put to divert traffic across the lanes of a motorway and the lane assist didn’t understand what was happening.
I totally get what these ‘driving aids’ are trying to achieve and will be grateful for any time they might prevent an accident but so far have been more dangerous than successful.
Does this only happen with the cruise engaged?
My Honda eNy1 did this once going under a bridge with a substantial dip in the road. I think the vehicle momentarily saw a wall of tarmac and slammed the brakes on, only for a moment, but it was disconcerting! If I have cruise on and the vehicle ahead hasn't completely crossed the lines onto a slip road, it'll brake if I get close. I only use it on quiet roads now, the auto distance can't be switched off.
If you indicate when passing parked cars, changing lanes etc, you don't get the turn in lane assist.
My Honda eNy1 did this once going under a bridge with a substantial dip in the road. I think the vehicle momentarily saw a wall of tarmac and slammed the brakes on, only for a moment, but it was disconcerting! If I have cruise on and the vehicle ahead hasn't completely crossed the lines onto a slip road, it'll brake if I get close. I only use it on quiet roads now, the auto distance can't be switched off.
If you indicate when passing parked cars, changing lanes etc, you don't get the turn in lane assist.
GT9 said:
Two extremely relevant details the OP chose to ignore for the actual event where the collision occurred.
The car in front that caused the braking to occur had a photographer travelling in the open boot of that car, at speed and in close proximity, and the car behind that rear ended the CLA was driving too close and couldn't stop in time.
It doesn't seem at all surprising that the automatic braking might activate if it detects a person in that scenario, it's hardly a normal driving event.
Nothing to see here methinks.
What happens if you're following a bus with an advert on the back that shows people? Full emergency stop cause the car thinks they cannot be moving at 30mph?The car in front that caused the braking to occur had a photographer travelling in the open boot of that car, at speed and in close proximity, and the car behind that rear ended the CLA was driving too close and couldn't stop in time.
It doesn't seem at all surprising that the automatic braking might activate if it detects a person in that scenario, it's hardly a normal driving event.
Nothing to see here methinks.
Is the car trying to detect 'people versus car versus obstruction'? Or is it just looking at relative distances and speeds?
Every car I've had with emergency assist braking has done this, very annoying and not safe, my current Mercedes shed doesn't have it but it does have a system that alerts you to what it thinks is a imminent crash and it's wrong every single time, thankfully it's just an annoying noise and it can't intervene.
But given they can't get rain sensing wipers to work properly should it really be a surprise?
GT9 said:
Two extremely relevant details the OP chose to ignore for the actual event where the collision occurred.
The car in front that caused the braking to occur had a photographer travelling in the open boot of that car, at speed and in close proximity, and the car behind that rear ended the CLA was driving too close and couldn't stop in time.
It doesn't seem at all surprising that the automatic braking might activate if it detects a person in that scenario, it's hardly a normal driving event.
Nothing to see here methinks.
I can't agree with this. Maybe if the Merc gently applied brakes to increase gap (anti tailgating technology might be a good thing) or if the Merc came off the brakes the moment it was apparent no collision was about to happen, but to just slam on the brakes hard like that... bearing in mind just how bloody quickly a modern car will come to stop due to the technology.The car in front that caused the braking to occur had a photographer travelling in the open boot of that car, at speed and in close proximity, and the car behind that rear ended the CLA was driving too close and couldn't stop in time.
It doesn't seem at all surprising that the automatic braking might activate if it detects a person in that scenario, it's hardly a normal driving event.
Nothing to see here methinks.
Other stories of AB abound, Matt Prior on Autocar podcast once described how a car he was driving pinned him to the seatbelt for no good reason (Indeed in a common scenario).
Laws or rules on insurance liability may need to change imo.
I've had a problem with my leaf system malfunctioning causing a collision. In my case it wasn't the emergency braking but the one pedal driving. I was in a car park preparing to reverse into a space. In one pedal driving you don't have to use the brake unless you want to give more brake force or are switching to park or reverse. In this case I'd put my foot on the brake to switch to reverse which I did. When I released the brake the car flew backwards at full acceleration causing me to hit a parked car. I've never used one pedal driving since and had no issues. Asking around on Reddit I found other drivers had had similar issues. The truth is these systems aren't perfect and will have issues. I'd much prefer if they were switched off by default.
On emergency braking I've had a few issues with it deciding that a car in another lane is too close and deciding to hanker on.
On emergency braking I've had a few issues with it deciding that a car in another lane is too close and deciding to hanker on.
I've got a CLA as a hire car at the moment and in the two weeks I've had it, it's done that to me twice, albeit in reverse both times. Once I was parallel parking with people on the pavement behind me so I can sort of understand it, but the second time I was just reversing up my own drive with nothing anywhere near.
In contrast, despite their terrible reputation, my wife's MG has never done it to me in over a year of using it on and off.
As above though, whilst the system is clearly faulty, ultimately the responsibility lies with the driver behind to maintain a safe gap.
In contrast, despite their terrible reputation, my wife's MG has never done it to me in over a year of using it on and off.
As above though, whilst the system is clearly faulty, ultimately the responsibility lies with the driver behind to maintain a safe gap.
Edited by kambites on Sunday 14th December 10:08
On Nov 1st I was coming up to a mini roundabout behind 2 motorbikes, as they passed through a car coming from the opposite side swerved around the wrong side of an island and head on into the 2nd bike, I thought it was a nutter trying to kill him. It was an older man and his wife in their new car and whatever way it read the faded road marking the car decided to take over and steer him straight at the biker.
Was a sorry state for all involved.
Was a sorry state for all involved.
IJWS15 said:
Simple
Maintain a safe gap in front of you when driving.
Automatic braking system or not ANY car can stop suddenly.
This is where 'human factors' come in. The 'safe gap' is subjective, and it hasn't to date assumed the likelihood of a completely unwarned/unwarranted full, automatic, emergency stop bringing the car to a halt in the shortest possible distance for that car (and in this case, two cars doing it but one not having as good brakes - 'safe gap' has always assuming broadly equal stopping distances and the gap is for human reaction time which is irrelevant in this context).Maintain a safe gap in front of you when driving.
Automatic braking system or not ANY car can stop suddenly.
"Always allow sufficient gap to stop within the distance you can reasonably assume to be clear" is broadly the term. You have always been able "reasonably assume" a car in front travelling at normal speeds and with no clear outside cause will not suddenly engage a full E stop. Until now.
Sway said:
"Always allow sufficient gap to stop within the distance you can reasonably assume to be clear" is broadly the term. You have always been able "reasonably assume" a car in front travelling at normal speeds and with no clear outside cause will not suddenly engage a full E stop. Until now.
Personally I don't think it's ever been "reasonable to assume" that the car in front won't do an emergency stop for a reason you cannot see, so I have always driven on the basis that they might. Perhaps not so much on motorways and big dual-carriageways, but certainly on any single-carriageway road. Edited by kambites on Sunday 14th December 10:38
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