Ingo Scherhaufer has been honored with the European Commercial Vehicle Safety Award. The Head of Active Safety at Daimler Truck received the prize, which has been awarded jointly by the European Association for Accident Research and Analysis (EVU), the expert organization DEKRA and the German Road Safety Council (DVR) every year since 1990. The award ceremony took place during the DEKRA Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference in Berlin.
“Ingo Scherhaufer has rendered outstanding services to commercial vehicle safety for many years”, said EVU President Jörg Ahlgrimm in his laudatory speech. “The Active Brake Assist with 270° sensing, which was developed under his responsibility, is the latest in a whole series of safety systems whose development and market launch he and his team have played a key role in driving forward. These included several groundbreaking inventions and world firsts. So once again this year we are honoring a worthy award winner.”
Dipl.-Ing. Ingo Scherhaufer (53) studied computer engineering and communications technology in the 1990s. During his studies, he worked as a research assistant in the research department of the then Daimler-Benz AG on algorithms related to vehicle dynamics parameters based on radar sensor signals. After six years in the supplier sector, during which he worked on the DISTRONIC distance assistant system, among other things, Scherhaufer returned to the now merged Daimler Chrysler AG as Head of Innovative Driving Functions. For almost 20 years, he has been responsible for active safety systems at what is now Daimler Truck AG. Pioneering electronics platforms and software solutions were the basis for many innovations such as Active Brake Assist, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, and the new Frontguard Assist, which can detect pedestrians in the blind spot in front of the vehicle when starting off.
“Active safety systems, which Ingo Scherhaufer has successfully worked on developing for more than two decades, have great potential to prevent accidents and save lives”, said Christiane Leonard, member of the executive committee of the German Road Safety Council (DVR). “The fact that commercial vehicles have often been pioneers in the development of these systems is no surprise – given the large masses of vehicles and the dire consequences of crashes. We honor Ingo Scherhaufer’s contribution to the progress achieved with the European Safety Award.”
Commenting on the award, Jann Fehlauer, Managing Director of DEKRA Automobil GmbH, said: “The intelligent emergency brake assistant, which can prevent accidents at the end of traffic jams – for example due to distraction – was a milestone when it was introduced and has been continuously improved since then. In the meantime, the turn-off assistant with braking intervention has been added. Today, modern assistance systems can also help prevent serious accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians. Although these are comparatively rare, they often have devastating consequences. Ingo Scherhaufer’s services to road safety around heavy trucks can hardly be overestimated.”