SnowCub

My father is having a bit of trouble driving. He is 77 years old this year and is having trouble seeing at night. When changing lanes he is nervous because, he feels his reflexes are not what they used to be. I have talked with him about giving up driving but he says it is the one thing he really still enjoys doing.

I've been looking at the technology that MB offers such as Night Vision, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot assist, MBrace 2, etc... and I'm wondering if these technologies could help him keep driving for a few more years.

Can the technology keep him safer and the people around him safer?

Is there anyone here that has found the tech offered has helped them keep driving as they have aged?

LaicepsYdobon

Yes. Distronic Plus and Pre-Safe will prevent him from rear-ending someone. If you get the Drivers Assistance Package that also contains Active Blind Spot Assist it will pull him back to his own lane if he tries to change lanes while someone is in his blind spot. The Active Lane Keep Assist will do the same for solid white lines but will only vibrate the steering wheel if crossing the dotted lines without a turn signal.

I'm sure he enjoys driving but he is not only a danger to others but to himself too.

ImInPA

At his age, it is just as likely that technology such as night vision would confuse him more than assist. As sad as it is, our parents do get to the point that they should no longer be operating a motor vehicle.

ttoE550

Night vision is not good for this because it is on the Comand screen.

While the system is very good, please do not use it to substitute for an inability to drive. I have distronic plus. Blind spot assist can and does give errors, particularly with multilane turns and stuff. It will not work fast enough when the speed differential is high, say when a car is doing 80 while he is doing 55. It does not work at all at low speeds.

Lane assist works when the lanes are clearly marked and the weather is good. When the markings are bad, worn away, or generally hard to see, it might not give a warning.

The system is a good second pair of eyes. It is not a substitute for the first pair. While he might enjoy driving, there are a lot of children who deserve to enjoy life.

ttoE550

Oh yeah, it will NOT guarantee no rear-end collisions. Max. Brake power is 40% applies when an accident is deemed unavoidable. Circumstances might prevent it, but the goal is to reduce force, not avoid it entirely.

bigh123

+1. It will keep him safer and maybe prevent some accidents, but not all. Also reminder attention assist to help stay alert. If he does get in an accident, god forbid, people here swear behind the solid construction. Also, pre-safe braking (which I think is ingenious) will reduce the the impact of collision at all speeds (correct me if I am wrong) thus keeping him safer but not preventing accidents.

listerone

Having had to deal with the issue of an elderly parent driving I "feel your pain".Although some might disagree I wouldn't count on "technology",by itself,making an older parent safe enough to give *me* any kind of peace of mind.I like Distronic a lot but....well,you know.

It's a tough situation...best of luck with it.

greasykid

As I am over 80 and just received my factory ordered 2012 E350 can tell you that Lane assist,Blind spot assist and my multicontour seat are very good features. Just finished 2000 mi trip safely and wouldn't be without them. Night vision was not on my shopping list.

petee1997

The driver assistance package is great for seniors. Many have restricted movement and the blind spot assist is invaluable in such cases.

If a senior can no longer drive, he loses his independence. It is important that your father restrict his driving to conditions where he is competent. With a little planning and new technology he should be able to keep driving safely for many years to come.

My father drove his car until he was 88. As he got older he did not drive at night, in heavy rain or after a snowfall. This still left him totally independent.

SnowCub

My Dad realizes his night time vision is not as good as it used to be so he tries not to drive at night. I've mentioned switching to a new E-class but he thinks his 2008 Infiniti M35x is fine with only 20k miles. "Its got a backup camera so that helps".

I'm most keen on the MBrace technology since I believe it will help me locate him in case he gets lost. That seems to be his biggest fear these days, driving to new places and losing his way.

ttoE550

A navigation system is great for helping find his way home. Just program in your house address or a nearby intersection (I don't like to enter my address) and call it "home." Teach him how to tell the nav system to take him home. It's a must for me whenever I go to Virginia since I seem to completely lose my sense of direction whenever I go there.

You can also look into GPS locator services for his phone, assuming he reliably carries it. The iPhone has it built in already. If he gets lost, you can locate his phone.

MBrace might not be as helpful. The cellphone app is REALLY slow and works only a mile away. I don't know if you could call MBrace and have them tell you your father's location without a lot of hassle (they might be worried you are hunting him for nefarious reasons).

SnowCub

Hmm, dad does have navigation now but he doesn't like the voice talking to him, so he doesn't use it. He has a cell phone but keeps it plugged in at home so it doesn't lose charge maybe I should be looking for a new doctor for him....

ttoE550

I understand. As frustrating as it might be, enjoy it. Having gone through it myself, I can tell you that I wish it would've lasted forever.

One other possibility is to attach some sort of GPS tracking device to his car, like the kind that delivery companies use. I don't know anything about it, but someone posted a question about the best brands in this section. You might be able to set it so he can turn it on if he gets in trouble so that he won't feel like you are monitoring him. Also, there might be some similar devices for parents to monitor their teenage drivers.

Good luck.