Here in the northern part of New England, moose avoidance is a survival skill. Impacting one of those hulking critters at highway speed has been known to shorten many a human life span. When we say "Brake for Moose, It Could Save Your Life" we mean it!
The northern part of the U.S. and Canada is not the only place where moose are a problem. Scandinavian countries face the same dilemma. In fact, that is where the Moose-Avoidance test was developed. (The Moose-Avoidance test is when a driver simulates an emergency situation by abruptly crossing two lanes at about 35 mph.)
Mercedes was debuting their new A-class sedan. Out on the test track, five respected automotive journalists were putting the A-class sedan through its paces. As the journalists performed the moose avoidance test, much to their surprise, the only thing the Mercedes avoided was staying on its wheels. The sedan flipped over onto its roof as it plowed through cones marking out the course. Fortunately no one was injured.
Mercedes initially dismissed the event, but have since changed their position after having over 2000 orders for the A-class sedan canceled. The development department went to work, and in less than 14 days had several modifications for the A-class sedan. These changes included lowering of the engine, modified springs and shocks, stabilizer bars added to the front and rear axles and wider tires. In addition, Mercedes will fit the cars with the Electronic Stable Program (ESP) traction control system at no extra cost, which is a $1,000 option. The ESP system applies the brakes and adjusts acceleration to correct a skid.
Not only can the A-class avoid moose, it can now stay on all four wheels.
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