Mom and Dad were driving along the highway in their GL the other day after a rainstorm. In a new section of highway, there was a large puddle that the car in front of them overlooked and took at speed, producing a wall of water through which it was difficult to see. When my dad emerged, he saw that that car had slowed to a stop a few hundred feet in front of him. He stood on the brake pedal and slowed the GL down to avoid an accident. As he was telling me the story, he added that he heard all kinds of noises from the brakes and strong pulsations through the pedal. I asked him how come he didn't panic and lift off the pedal at that moment, and his response was, "I remembered you once told me not to lift off the pedal no matter what I felt through it." I was very proud of my 79 yr old dad, who listened to what I had taught him. Then I remembered the day I showed him how his ABS worked. I was on an empty street and recall standing on the brake pedal with both feet from about 60 mph. That lesson stuck. I would encourage all of you to do the same with the ones you love, so they're prepared to take full advantage of what our Mercedes cars/trucks can do to preserve our lives. If they can't swerve, they'll have to stop. If they don't know what a panic stop feels like with full ABS and presafe engaged, they may panic and think something is wrong with their vehicle, causing them to lift off the brake. That could spell disaster.

 

That's a great idea, however sometimes this sort of advice falls on deaf ears. Because some 90lb Chinese lady doctor my mom knew got killed by her cheap Acura airbag in a parking lot accident, my mom insists on driving so far away from the wheel, she only has her toes for braking. Since she has been driving "for 50 years" she refuses to see that having her foot slide off the pedal is more dangerous than her airbag. Go figure!

But I did a similar session as you did with my wife, and when some bonehead stood on the brakes when he "saw a cop" my wife was able to steer while braking and turn a full on wreck into a glancing blow, saved four lives.