With Active Brake Assist 6 Plus and Attention Assist 2, Daimler Buses is expanding active safety - and already fulfilling the new EU GSR Stage C before its entry into force in July 2026.
Magazine
Additional safety in the bus: Active Brake Assist 6 Plus and Attention Assist 2.
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Assistance systems that think with you and react at the decisive moment.
Safety in buses and coaches is often decided in fractions of seconds. Modern assistance systems in Mercedes‑Benz buses can recognise dangers at an early stage and, through their coordinated interaction, help to avoid accidents. The Active Brake Assist 6 Plus (ABA 6 Plus) emergency braking assistant and Attention Assist 2 are exemplary examples of the level of safety in Mercedes‑Benz coaches and inter‑city buses.
The advantages of ABA 6 Plus at a glance:
The advantages of Attention Assist 2 at a glance:
ABA 6 Plus: the emergency braking assistant that can do more.
#1: Emergency braking to a standstill.
Even more precise, even safer: the extended emergency braking assistant Active Brake Assist 6 Plus (ABA 6 Plus). The radar‑based system can cover the entire speed range of the vehicle and operates permanently in the background. In the event of an imminent collision with vehicles in front or stationary vehicles, ABA 6 Plus can intervene at an early stage and initiate automatic braking to a standstill if required. It does not stop even if the bus swerves to avoid the obstacle. Below 60 km/h the system brakes directly, above this speed a shortened visual and acoustic warning announces the intervention. On a straight stretch of road, an accident can thus be avoided under optimal conditions up to 90 km/h, in typical motorway bends with a radius of over 260 meters up to 70 km/h.
The ABA 6 Plus as a reliable companion in the cockpit: even more precise, even safer.
#2: More protection for pedestrians and cyclists.
A new feature of ABA 6 Plus is the detection of pedestrians and cyclists. Up to a speed of 60 km/h, the system can react to pedestrians and cyclists who cross the roadway, come in the opposite direction or are driving in their own lane - maximum full‑stop braking can be initiated if required. This means that ABA 6 Plus also covers critical situations in urban and intercity traffic and significantly increases safety, especially for vulnerable road users.
More safety for pedestrians and cyclists up to a speed of 60 km/h.
#3: Precise reaction in complex traffic situations.
ABA 6 Plus can detect typical traffic situations even more precisely and thus avoid unnecessary warnings. Multi‑lane detection - already a strength of ABA 6 - exceeds the requirements of GSR level C and can correctly assign vehicles and obstacles across several lanes. ABA 6 Plus is able to correctly classify oncoming vehicles when turning left or vehicles driving in front when turning right, as well as vehicles and people behind a guardrail in the cornering area. Even an intentional lane change when the lane is blocked does not trigger an incorrect reaction.
The integrated onboard computer reliably detects traffic conditions and initiates control measures according to requirements.
Attention Assist 2: the watchful eye in the cockpit.
#1: Detect fatigue and distraction early.
Whereas the previous attention assistance systems indirectly divert attention through steering and braking manoeuvres, Attention Assist 2 takes a direct path: a driver camera in the cockpit records the head position, direction of view and pattern of lid closure. This means that the new Attention Assist 2 can counteract potentially dangerous situations even more reliably. The system detects distraction from around 20 km/h and drowsiness from around 30 km/h. If there are signs of inattentiveness, a warning tone sounds and a clear message appears in the instrument cluster.
#2: Real‑time analysis without image storage.
Attention Assist 2 is automatically active after the vehicle is started and operates discreetly in the background. The system converts the camera’s images directly into metadata without storing or transferring them to the cloud. This ensures the driver’s privacy at all times. The assistant can support the driver, but the necessary attention and concentration on the traffic situation remains the responsibility of the driver.
The camera of Attention Assist 2 is discreetly installed in the cockpit and evaluates data in real time - without storing it in the long term.
Prepared for the EU General Safety Regulation (GSR level C):
Since the first quarter of 2026, Daimler Buses has been equipping all new coaches and inter‑city buses with the emergency braking assistant Active Brake Assist 6 Plus (ABA 6 Plus) and the attention assist system Attention Assist 2. Both systems comply with the EU General Safety Regulation (GSR level C), which becomes mandatory from 7 July 2026, and exceed the specifications in important areas. Mercedes‑Benz is thus once again setting the standard for safety in buses.