Not to warn the driver – here’s why
Trying out the comfort of the airbags is usually not part of our driving tests. We prefer to leave that to the Euro NCAP. For example, there are more things that we do not experience when we drive a car, but are certainly interesting enough to report. Did you know, for example, that the newer models from Mercedes play very loud noise through the speakers when they think a crash is going to take place? This is also known as ‘pink noise’.
Mercedes calls the system Pre-Safe Sound and it is quite ingeniously conceived. By playing loud ‘pink noise’ in the car, you unconsciously tense the stirrup muscle (stapedius muscle) in your ear. “The contraction of this small muscle briefly changes the connection between the eardrum and the inner ear, providing better protection against high sound pressures,” said Mercedes.
Car accidents (and certainly the popping of the airbag) are quite loud and can cause hearing damage. By playing the noise in the car, your ears brace themselves for the loud noise. By the way, the Pre-Safe Sound system is not new, it has been supplied by Mercedes for a few years now. Nevertheless, we found it too interesting not to pay some extra attention. You can hear how it sounds in the video below.
Mercedes plays noise before a crash
var tg_clips = tg_clips || {}; tg_clips[“videoplayer1″]=”
“;