WHAT VAN ? - Mercedes takes teh safety award for the seventh and every year its been around.

What Van? has once again honoured Mercedes-Benz with the Safety Award for 2017 – an accolade that the manufacturer has held for a record-breaking seventh consecutive time.

In fact, since the Safety category was added to the What Van? Awards, Mercedes-Benz has received the honour each year.

This year, there was a special mention for the Blind Spot Assist system. Blind Spot Assist enables the driver to monitor those areas that are not easily visible. 

The system utilises two near-range radar sensors in the rear bumper and covers the area to the left and right in adjacent lanes. If these sensors detect a vehicle in the blind spot while driving, a red hazard warning triangle lights up in the relevant exterior mirror. 

If the assistance system detects that the driver has activated the indicator and wants to change lanes anyway, an audible warning is issued and the red warning symbol starts to flash.

In addition to the Safety Award, Mercedes-Benz Vans was also highly commended in the Large Van Award category for Sprinter and also in the Website Award category.

The What Van? Awards are decided by its expert editorial panel comprising decades of experience in the industry. James Dallas, Editor at What Van, said: “A vast range of effective safety kit in its LCV line-up, including Blind Spot Assist, means Mercedes-Benz continues to be the clear leader in this vital area of the market.”

Steve Bridge, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Vans, added: “Blind Spot Assist is a fantastic example of how our safety systems benefit the businesses that use our vans – by helping to prevent accidents, the driver and other road users remain safe and the van remains on the road and earning its keep.

“It is a small system with a mighty impact and we are very proud to maintain our 100% success in this category.”