Volvo’s name for its auto braking functions will be City Safety, starting with the all-new Volvo XC90. This is not to be confused with the autonomous Drive Me features to be found on future Volvo cars.
In Europe, Volvo drivers save up to £160 on annual insurance premiums on Volvo Cars fitted with City Safety Autonomous Emergency Braking system.
The Volvo City Safety system, has been fitted to more than one million new Volvos worldwide, was applauded for its ability to help drivers avoid low-speed crashes by Thatcham, which administers the Association of British Insurers group rating system for private cars and commercial vehicles.
Volvo Cars has been pioneering auto brake technologies since the first generation standard brake support was introduced in 2006.
Volvo first deployed low-speed auto braking in 2008. Now, City Safety takes on an extended, all new role as the umbrella name for all Volvo Cars’ auto brake functions. The system is active at all speeds from 2.5 mph.
City Safety addresses, oncoming vehicles, vehicles moving in the same direction and pedestrians. Brake are applied when problems are detected by the combined camera and radar unit integrated at the top of the windscreen, in front of the interior rear-view mirror. The latest camera is more sensitive to enabling it to work effectively even when driving in the dark.
The Volvo’s brake pedal also retracts in the case of a hard crash. A new driver alert system, on the instrument panel suggests that a the driver appears to be growing tired and uses the GPS system to find the closest rest stop.
The Volvo XC90 includes a world-first run-off road protection package. Run-off road is a common accident type with different causes, such as driver inattentiveness, fatigue or poor weather conditions. For example, half of all traffic fatalities in the United States are road departure crashes, while in Sweden, single-vehicle accidents involve one-third of all fatal and severe injury crashes with passenger cars. When run-off road is detected via sensor. The front safety belts are electrically tightened to retract and keep the occupants in position. Then to help prevent spine injuries, energy-absorbing functionality between the seat and seat frame deforms mechanically to cushion the vertical forces that can arise when the car encounters a hard landing in the terrain.
Volvo is studying and researching autonomous Drive Me Volvo vehicles in Sweden. In August, Volvo opened AstaZero as a test site for traffic safety solutions, in the hopes that by 2020 that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car. It features real life driving situations including pedestrians, motorcycles, busy city roads, highways and multi-lane motorways/freeways and crossroads.
If you would like see a virtual Volvo you can check out the app and experience it with Google Cardboard virtual viewing.