Sweden: Volvo Cars previews future safety technology

Volvo Cars will upscale safety technology with its new three prototype technologies, the automatic braking system to avoid pedestrians, automatic steering to prevent head-on collisions and communication between cars to prevent traffic-pile ups. Volvo said that production of these three is planned. However, the date is not yet revealed.

"Today we need to focus on technologies that predict and prevent accidents from even occurring. It is important to understand that collisions are not inevitable. Preventive safety is all about helping and supporting the driver to avoid accidents," says Jonas Ekmark, the manager for preventive safety at the Volvo Safety Center in Gothenburg.

The first newest Volvo technology is the Collision Warning with auto Brake – Pedestrian. This new Volvo signature innovation allows the driver to have clearer vision of people crossing the streets. Via wide range search radar technology, it detects people and objects in front and near the vehicle.

Based on the Lane Departure Warning sytem is Volvo’s Collision Avoidance by Auto Steering. It extends the function of the lane Departure Warning system by checking the location of the car in relation to the lane markers by using a camera. The driver is signaled by a sound telling him that the car is wandering across a lane automatically.

The third of the new advancements is the Collision Avoidance by Auto Steering and according to its maker, this is so far the most advance among the three. Injuries and fatalities are meant to be reduced as it prevents frontal collision due temporary distraction. A camera and a radar monitor is used to determine the position of the car

"With communication between vehicles, and between vehicles and the traffic environment, a large number of today's accidents could be avoided. The major challenges are to find a standard 'language' and the particular applications that are most urgent and effective," Jonas Ekmark states.