Active Lane Assist

[Ron240]

Yesterday evening when coming home from work around 11.30pm I had my first experience of this system. Approaching a roundabout that has a left filter lane a good bit back from the roundabout I start to cross over into this lane.....then the car brakes violently and tries to pull me back onto the main carriageway. To say I **** myself would be an understatement!!
I looked up my handbook regarding turning the system off....all seemed straight forward so that is exactly what I did today before driving to work.
Sure enough the system was off and I was happy....but when driving home tonight the system had turned itself on again and the same thing happened at the same point. Just to add I was the only car on the road at this time.

Surely this cannot be right.....if I choose to turn the system off then it should stay off, not automatically turn on again by default with the next ignition cycle.
In my opinion this system is potentially dangerous!
Yes I am aware that using an indicator should prevent the system from activating, but indicating is only necessary when it is beneficial to other road users or pedestrians.

I am wondering if the system can be permanently disabled via the OBD port? I am thinking it probably can be, but will my dealer disable it at my request?

 

[tode]

I was quite surprised the first time it happened to me . . .

But I quickly learned to indicate before changing lanes .

I think there's something about it in the Highway Code . . .

 

[rorywquin]

I was quite surprised the first time it happened to me . . .

But I quickly learned to indicate before changing lanes .

I think there's something about it in the Highway Code . . .

Latest guidance is that there is no need to indicate if there is no traffic.....however, I always indicate - muscle memory after driving (accident free) for 50+ years.

@Ron240

I'd hardly say the braking is violent which would be unsafe. It works by braking the wheels on one side to "steer" the car away from the line. Perhaps the op was more surprised by the acton and in-car warning!

There are are a couple of options in my car 'off', 'standard' or 'adaptive'. Perhaps you did not select 'off' or did not select the "OK" button to confirm your choice. I very much doubt the car will autonomously turn it on again.

 

[Ron240]

Latest guidance is that there is no need to indicate if there is no traffic.....however, I always indicate - muscle memory after driving (accident free) for 50+ years.

There are are a couple of options in my car 'off', 'standard' or 'adaptive'. Perhaps you did not select 'off' or did not select the "OK" button to confirm your choice. I very much doubt the car will autonomously turn it on again.

It has always been taught in advanced driving that it is only necessary to indicate if that indication will be beneficial to other road users or pedestrians. Everytime I indicate it is an individual conscious action based on proper observation, it is never done out of unconscious habit. This is a whole other argument however with both camps unwilling to accept the others viewpoint so please let us not get lost in that.

I went into the settings and selected Off which was confirmed by the display on the dashboard also saying Off above the symbol for lane assist, but next time I started the engine the system was activated again.
Maybe Mercedes have only started implementing the system in this way with newer cars.......I dont know, but I do know that I absolutely hate it!!
I am pretty sure it should be possible to permanently disable it via the OBD port, so it looks like this is the route I will need to go down.

 

[rorywquin]

Perhaps it is peculiar to the front wheel drive 'A & B' class cars?

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

You will need to turn it off each time you start the car. It is always on to begin with, like most Mercedes gadgets.
Not sure that it can be permanently turned off, a bit like the stop, start system.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Altamar]

Don't have this system on any of our cars. Never want it for the reasons the OP mentions

And no, I don't signal if there is no other road user around: Institute of Advanced Motorists guidance when I passed my advanced test.

 

[Jason63]

I understand the latest guidance may be not to indicate if there are no other road users around. The problem is that this requires the driver to be 100% correct on his assessment of the conditions and people aren't that reliable. There may be a vehicle, bike, motorbike perfectly in line the A, B or C pillar when you scan round. Indicating provides an extra bit of insurance in case you haven't spotted something.

If the MB system defaults to on then indicating solves that problem too.

Having said all of that I really don't like the lane assist feature and have it turned off on my car...and it stays off on my W204.

 

[Blobcat]

I understand the latest guidance may be not to indicate if there are no other road users around. The problem is that this requires the driver to be 100% correct on his assessment of the conditions and people aren't that reliable. There may be a vehicle, bike, motorbike perfectly in line the A, B or C pillar when you scan round. Indicating provides an extra bit of insurance in case you haven't spotted something.

If the MB system defaults to on then indicating solves that problem too.

Having said all of that I really don't like the lane assist feature and have it turned off on my car...and it stays off on my W204.

Not indicating shows (If you’re driving correctly) that you’ve checked and there’s no one to indicate to. Automatically indicating can show a lack of awareness and that because you’ve indicated you’re safe to make the manoeuvre.
Advanced driving about not indicating hasn't changed and has been in place for many many years.

 

[LostKiwi]

Not indicating shows (If you’re driving correctly) that you’ve checked and there’s no one to indicate to. Automatically indicating can show a lack of awareness and that because you’ve indicated you’re safe to make the manoeuvre.
Advanced driving about not indicating hasn't changed and has been in place for many many years.

But if there's no one around no one will see your awareness demonstrated by the lack of indication....

 

[Blobcat]

But if there's no one around no one will see your awareness demonstrated by the lack of indication....

You will and that’s what’s important

 

[LostKiwi]

You will and that’s what’s important

BMW drivers must be super aware....

 

[Blobcat]

BMW drivers must be super aware....

No, you’re missing the point... They (along with Audi drivers) refuse to indicate their intentions to everyone else. That’s not the same as not indicating when there’s no one to indicate to...

 

[Ron240]

There may be a vehicle, bike, motorbike perfectly in line the A, B or C pillar when you scan round. Indicating provides an extra bit of insurance in case you haven't spotted something.

I said to myself I wasn't going to get involved in the indicating debate that was inevitably going to happen.......but I will pick up on this one point you made....
For something which you are not aware of to be perfectly hidden in a blind spot suggests that you have not been properly aware of your surroundings leading up to the point of making your intended manoeuvre.
If this is the case then even if you do indicate you are presumably still going to move because you are not aware of whatever is hidden in your blind spot.
I am constantly checking my mirrors as I drive....I don't wait until the moment I am ready to make a manoeuvre before looking to see if it is safe to do so.

This active lane assist feature is designed primarily to prevent accidents where drivers fall asleep at the wheel, and yes it has probably saved lives, but I believe Mercedes are wrong in forcing this system on me by making it a default setting.
This is my car, I own it, so I should have the right to choose to turn it off and keep it off just like can be done with other cars, and indeed other Mercedes!

 

[rorywquin]

I have no blind spots with the way my rearview mirrors are set up! Provable!

As mentioned above by others, I always scan my mirrors while driving & before manoeuvring, I always check my surrounding and always indicate - best of both worlds.

The lane keeping assist would not be an issue if you indicate when you change lanes.

@Ron240

Why did you buy a car with those features if you don't want them?

 

[keefysher]

I was once shunted from behind, big time, as I sat in a stationary queue on the A40 outside Oxford. It was a well known bottleneck and I had left plenty of space between me and the car in front just in case. All too often the queue to the roundabout was extended due to shunts. It was one of those moments where you just know it's going to happen, sat helplessly with nowhere to go watching in the rear view mirror as the rapidly approaching car locks up and screeches straight up your jacksie. Once out of the car I picked up the IAM badge that came off the offending projectile and handed it the errant Advanced Motorist. Proper ruined Christmas for him, did that.

I have active blind spot assist as well as active lane assist. The former gives orange triangular optical silent warnings followed by red optical and audible warning should I attempt to drive into the path of another vehicle I had not seen if I wasn't paying attention. I drive using the systems as they are meant to be used, not an issue.

 

[Ron240]

@Ron240
Why did you buy a car with those features if you don't want them?

This is a question I never anticipated, and demonstrates an irrationally simplistic attitude to the problem.
Just to be clear this is one specific feature.

You yourself originally very much doubted that this feature would autonomously turn itself on again.
The majority of cars fitted with this feature allow the driver to permanently disable it.
The handbook makes no mention of this feature being a default setting for every ignition cycle.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Don't have this system on any of our cars. Never want it for the reasons the OP mentions

And no, I don't signal if there is no other road user around: Institute of Advanced Motorists guidance when I passed my advanced test.

same for me, but my XC90 has said system so I just get into the habit of indicating!
I believe the IAM guidance (and police handbook) was based on the slight distraction whilst operating the indicator stalk, so why bother when there is no-one there to indicate to?. Nowadays the indicator stalk is easily accessible and intuitive

 

[John Laidlaw]

This is a question I never anticipated, and demonstrates an irrationally simplistic attitude to the problem.
Just to be clear this is one specific feature.

You yourself originally very much doubted that this feature would autonomously turn itself on again.
The majority of cars fitted with this feature allow the driver to permanently disable it.
The handbook makes no mention of this feature being a default setting for every ignition cycle.

on the XC90 I have you can disable it permanently but it will warn you every time you start the car, as below I've just gotten used to indicating therefore avoiding the very unpleasant feeling that the car is fighting you!

 

[Ron240]

on the XC90 I have you can disable it permanently but it will warn you every time you start the car

Hey I could live with that Would be a very minor annoyance just like the seatbelt pop up warning I have to cancel when starting the engine.
The fact that Mercedes have now chosen to make Active Lane Assist a default setting is a bit more than a minor annoyance though.
I am reasonably confident it can be disabled via the OBD port and appropriate software.