Mercedes to Add Wrong-Way Driver Alert

This year Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz unit is introducing a system in Germany that warns drivers if they are about to enter a high-speed roadway on the wrong side.

Mercedes-Benz will introduce the option in its E-Class and S-Class, then gradually offer it in other models. The company also is working to adapt the technology for use in other countries.

The system uses a camera behind the windshield to identify do-not-enter signs. The technology also compares the camera's input with data from the vehicle's navigation system. If the driver ignores a no-entry sign at the end of an expressway exit ramp, the system issues three loud beeps and illuminates a red no-entry symbol on the instrument panel.

If inclement weather obscures the camera's view, the system displays a "temporarily unavailable" message.

As 2,800 incidents of wrong-way driving occur in Germany each year, according to Mercedes. It notes that such drivers have caused more than 25 fatalities in the country in the past three months.