Volvo Cars presents new systems to avoid collisions

If the driver is about to drive into the vehicle in front and does not react in time, the car brakes itself. The system is called City Safety and it is Volvo Car Corporation's ambition to apply the technology to prevent half of all rear-end collisions. Volvo is also showing three other smart systems that will help to avoid collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians.

City Safety was exhibited for the first time in the XC60 Concept car in Detroit in the beginning of 2007. Volvo Car Corporation plans to introduce the system on the market within the next two years. "The system offers benefits to all those involved. The risk of whiplash injuries is avoided or limited in the vehicle in front. The system can also help to reduce and at best eliminate the costs of repairs to both vehicles," says Jonas Ekmark, manager for Preventive Safety at Volvo Cars Safety Centre.

If the vehicle in front brakes suddenly and City Safety calculates that a collision is likely, the system will prepare the car's brakes to help the driver to avoid an accident by braking more effectively or taking evasive action. If the system senses that the driver needs additional help, the car will brake automatically through hydraulic pump activation.

"The Collision control technology will prove to be very useful for the urban dweller. Volvo Cars has always strived to reduce the impact of injury which occurs at the point of collision; however, this time Volvo has gone a step further by trying to avoid the collision all together. We hope the introduction of this system will instigate a reduction in the amount of accidents that take place in the region," comments Roula Beiruty, Marketing Manager Volvo Cars Middle East.

Know-how saves lives. The Volvo Cars accident research team has therefore investigated more than 36,000 accidents over a period covering 35 years. Recently, Volvo Cars has also developed a research model and methodology for predicting the chain of events before and during a collision. The method helps to evaluate the effectiveness of new preventive safety systems such as Collision Warning with Auto Brake and City Safety.

The method is an extension of the traditional traffic accident research which has focused on the actual collision and its consequences. Volvo Cars has now extended the research and made it possible to go back in time from the crash and study the chain of events that led to the accident.

"Real-life safety is the key to our safety philosophy. When it comes to preventive safety, our research and technical development focus on areas where new technology can achieve significant results in real-life traffic. Focusing on the crucial moments before the crash helps us determine the right priorities," says Jan Ivarsson, Senior Manager, Safety Strategy & Requirements at Volvo Cars.

According to statistics, 75% of all reported collisions occur at speeds up to 30 km/h. Furthermore, the consequences of minor collisions are often so limited that they are not reported to insurance companies. However, even the smallest impact costs time and money to rectify.

City Safety is active at speeds up to 30 km/h. If the relative speed difference between the vehicles is slower than 15 km/h, the system can help the driver to avoid a collision completely. Between 15 km/h and 30 km/h the objective is to reduce the speed as much as possible before a collision occurs.