Stuttgart/Kortrijk - The European bus and coach jury at this year’s international bus and coach fair, “Bus World Kortrijk”, voted the Mercedes-Benz Travego - since the beginning of 2009 in its third generation - “Coach of the Year 2010″. Stuart Jones, president of the Coach of the Year jury, handed the trophy to Michael Göpfarth, manager of the Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach Unit of EvoBus GmbH, on October 15.

The Travego emerged victorious after the jury of experts from 17 European countries put it through its paces together with four other European competitors at the Coach Euro Test in June 2009 in Senlis, Paris. The Coach Euro Test takes place every two years and is one of the most important coach tests in the bus and coach sector.

Among criteria such as economy, environmental compatibility, handling and comfort, safety was paramount. According to Hartmut Schick, head of Daimler Buses, “safety has always been, and is, the most important brand value for Mercedes-Benz. All three generations of our flagship coach have been market trendsetters in their own right. As far back as 1999, the Travego already featured an electronic brake system (EBS), anti-lock brake system (ABS), acceleration skid control (ASR) and a retarder as standard. Further safety features were introduced with the second generation, such as Lane Keeping Assist (SPA) and proximity control system (ART). The third generation of the coach witnessed the world premiere of Active Brake Assist (ABA) – also known as Emergency Brake Assist. With every Safety Coach on the road we are helping to enhance road safety and as a result to save lives”.

“The Safety Coach includes all currently available safety features. In addition to the Active Brake Assist active safety system, it is thus also equipped as standard with the Front Collision Guard passive safety system. Active Brake Assist actively helps to avoid rear-end collisions, or at least to reduce the severity of an accident”, explains Holger Suffel, head of sales for EvoBus GmbH. In the event of an acute risk of a rear-end collision with a slower-moving vehicle in front, Active Brake Assist issues a series of escalating warnings before initiating emergency braking. If the vehicle comes to a standstill as a result, the hazard warning flashers are activated automatically. Front Collision Guard, on the other hand, provides passive safety by offering effective protection for the driver and co-driver in the event of a frontal impact

The Front Collision Guard is a complex safety system starting with a transverse section which acts as an underride guard for the protection of other road users. Behind this section is a structure consisting of crash elements, which absorb energy in a predetermined manner in the event of an impact. In addition, the cockpit of the Travego, including the steering, pedals and seat, is mounted on a solid frame section which is able to move to the rear as a unit in the event of a severe frontal collision, increasing the survival space for the driver by several crucial centimetres.

Active Brake Assist - also known as Emergency Brake Assist - was launched on the market in 2006 in the Mercedes-Benz Actros heavy truck series. Currently more than 10,000 Mercedes-Benz Actros featuring Active Brake Assist are on the roads.

If proximity control is specified for the Travego, Active Brake Assist is included at no extra cost. Some insurance companies also grant discounts on insurance premiums when this system is fitted.