Spardo:
Franglais:
The idea of this system isnt to be an everyday driving aid. It is as the name says an Emergency system that steps in at the last possible moment to avoid a last line of safety. When a driver faints, or is checking his phone rather than looking through the windscreen! Sure, it may be related to systems that are about full automation, but that isn
t what this one is. It might have prevented the video at the top of the thread.
There may be many instances of low level annoyance (and there are!) but that has to be balanced against rare but devastating cases like this: bbc.com/news/uk-england-37823457
I understand that but such instances are, as you say, extremely rare. My worry is that emergency braking in a non threatening situation could cause an accident due to the violent action involved. In the case of the video you post, if the technology exists to detect inattention (as it certainly does, the ‘driverless’ cars being tested where the driver touches nothing but must keep looking ahead through the screen), surely a very loud noise to alert the driver would be better than slamming on all the brakes.
Perhaps I am too long in the tooth and away from the game, but the thought of violent braking on a slippery surface is the last thing I would want to happen.
I think I did ask earlier and I don’t think it was answered, but is the braking on all wheels or does it avoid the all important drive axle?
Braking on all wheels, and the drive axle doesnt lock and cause a jack-knife (that
s your concern?) because the anti-lock technology nowadays is far better than the early types when a good driver might just outperform the antilock.
No skill required: Stick your foot on the pedal as hard as you like, and even steer the thing. It will outperform a driver in practically all cases.
Newer trailers even have baking systems to aid in stability! Go a bit too quick into a bend and the inner trailer brakes come on to drag the trailer back to ground again.
When I started it was on 32T, 4 axle, no power steering, no ABS trucks. I well remember braking in the wet with an empty trailer and waiting for it to overtake me!
The systems to-day are not the crude antilock systems that first came along that reduced the braking on all wheels.
I dont rely on the new systems, I try to drive within the vehicle limits so they don
t need to kick in. But I`m not perfect (far from it) and accept that these are on balance better to have than not to have.
The failures in bad weather, the annoying false positive incidents are just that: annoying, but not fatal.
To explain a bit more:
the AEBS doesnt "see" a problem and then stop the truck, no matter what. It first gives a warning and *then* (admittedly quickly) puts the brakes on. If the driver is alert (as they should be) input to brake manually, or input into the throttle should override the braking. If the AEBS stops "seeing" the hazard, it will release the brakes. It is annoying sometimes but I haven
t heard of it actually causing a skid and a crash, nor a vehicle slamming into the rear. And we can surely agree that being rear ended isn`t the fault of the leading vehicle?
Well thanks for that Franglais, makes me feel a bit better about it then. 
It seems like the bloke in the Adelaide video comments section who was critical of the driver for switching it off might have had a point then.
But somebody else said it was illegal to switch it off in Europe, which if true, presumably applies to UK as well, despite Brexit.
Franglais:
Try this youtube.com/watch?v=8Q5tVnzJj_s
Well that was comforting, until I read the comments that is, it appears not everyone is so enthusiastic. 
But, according to that, not illegal to switch it off.
My car has a stop/start feature and I hate it with a vengeance, lethal at roundabouts when you need a quick getaway when there is a gap, so I always used to switch it off. It seems to have got the message now and never switches itself on anymore.

Spardo:
Well thanks for that Franglais, makes me feel a bit better about it then. 
It seems like the bloke in the Adelaide video comments section who was critical of the driver for switching it off might have had a point then.
But somebody else said it was illegal to switch it off in Europe, which if true, presumably applies to UK as well, despite Brexit.
I don`t think it is actually illegal to switch it off here. But if anything goes wrong…questions would be asked.
It currently comes on every time you start, but can be switched off. I saw somewhere that the off switch will soon have a timer on it so that to have it off will need a repeated switch off every 15 minutes.
What annoys me most about it is in bad weather: It fails and pings up a message with buzzers and lights. It might then reset itself and then fail again…further buzzers and lights.
To stop this one would think: Turn it off in snow. Easy!
But even if turned off, the pinging and flashing will continue. The truck tells you that you cant use the gizmo you have already turned off because you know it won
t work! Annoying and distracting in bad weather. But then again, unlikely fatal.
I really think some systems to squirt warm antifreeze/compressed air onto the sensor isn`t beyond the wit of man?
Spardo:
Franglais:
Try this youtube.com/watch?v=8Q5tVnzJj_s
Well that was comforting, until I read the comments that is, it appears not everyone is so enthusiastic. 
But, according to that, not illegal to switch it off.
My car has a stop/start feature and I hate it with a vengeance, lethal at roundabouts when you need a quick getaway when there is a gap, so I always used to switch it off. It seems to have got the message now and never switches itself on anymore.

I really believe they could and should be better. Nothing is perfect, but driving my regular truck I always knew that one particular over bridge would always set it off. The pillars aren`t even close to the road.
The dirt/snow issue doesn`t seem that difficult to overcome? But maybe I am over simplifying it through my ignorance of some issues?
stu675:
Which Merc is that? I rely on it regularly quite happily.
A big white one…
With a circular badge on it representing the start, lunch and finish times of the German vehicle manufacturing workforce.

Franglais:
stu675:
yourhavingalarf:
Franglais:
Yes, it can be turned off in current trucks but that may be changing soon.
Possibly legislation…
To ensure they’re always switched on?
That’s a whole new can of worms. Drivers relying on auto-braking and then ploughing into stationary vehicles when the inevitable malfunction occurs. I’ve played with Mercs auto-brake feature and it didn’t give me any confidence at all. Approaching standing traffic it leaves it until the very last second to kick in, then it nose dives the whole lot and there’s your £6 Costa all over the dash.
Braking, possibly the most crucial part of what we do left to silicone chips, nah, I’ll pass mate.
Which Merc is that? I rely on it regularly quite happily.
You rely on the AEBS? Are we at cross purposes here?
We aren`t talking about the ACC (Active Cruise Control) which maintains a constant distance from the vehicle in front, but the Advanced Emergency Braking System. The clue is in the name.
I mean the ACC, maybe even relying is too strong a word, but use the ACC yes I do.
I believe it must be the same technology in both systems, just different parameters.
The comedian did mention drivers relying on auto brakes. Surely that could only be ACC.
yourhavingalarf:
stu675:
Which Merc is that? I rely on it regularly quite happily.
A big white one…
With a circular badge on it representing the start, lunch and finish times of the German vehicle manufacturing workforce.

representing the start, lunch and finish times of the German vehicle manufacturing workforce? Maybe it represents a two thirds majority retaining all the wealth in society while subjugating the bottom third as de facto eternal plantation-slaves.