Volvo Cars’ new safety feature alerts drivers to road hazards such as animals and roadwork
Volvo Cars is introducing a new Connected Safety feature that alerts drivers of hazards ahead, such as pedestrians, animals, and roadwork, according to a news release.
The automaker’s Connected Safety technology, first launched in 2016, enables real-time hazard alerts based on data shared from other cars.
A new update comes with four new alerts:
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- “The Large Animal Alert can warn other drivers if a large animal is detected on or near the road ahead.
- “The Vulnerable Road User Alert can warn other drivers if pedestrians and cyclists are detected ahead on or near highways.
- “The Roadwork Alert can warn other drivers when roadwork is detected ahead.
- “The Accident Ahead Alert can warn other drivers of accidents further ahead, using real-time data from connected Volvo cars or traffic management centres.”
Volvo says that the features will be available on the EX90, EX60 and ES90 in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. Availability timing varies by car model, it says.
The features expand on alerts already available, such as warnings about low-visibility conditions, winding roads, and poor weather. The vehicles also have other existing features like the Slippery Road Alert and Hazard Light Alert.
More than 1 million Volvo cars have activated Connected Safety tech, the release states. The European Data for Road Safety ecosystem allows for the alert data to be shared with cars from other brands and national traffic management centers.
“Every time a Volvo car shares safety intelligence, it helps other drivers prepare earlier to avoid accidents and feel safer,” said Åsa Haglund, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Center.
The latest software update also brings Spatial Audio support to CarPlay in the Volvo EX90 with Dolby Atmos technology. Enabled by the Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system, it includes 25 high-performance speakers.
“From a favourite track to a live performance or a podcast, Spatial Audio powered by Dolby Atmos adds depth and detail to everything you listen to — making every drive feel richer, more engaging and more enjoyable,” the release states.
Volvo also recently launched a Safety Coach app that provides drivers with real-time driving insights on driver behavior in daily traffic, such as braking, acceleration, and cornering.
The automaker plans to launch the app first in Sweden and Norway. Drivers there also will soon be able to receive a special usage-based offer from the insurance company Volvia if they choose to share their driving data through the app.
A rollout in the United States and European markets is expected soon after Sweden and Norway, a press release for the optional app states. It adds that insurance-related offers are also planned in these markets.
Regarding safety, Volvo also introduced a seatbelt earlier this year that adapts to traffic and the person wearing it via real-time data in its fully electric Volvo EX60.
Modern seatbelts use load limiters to control how much force is applied to the body during a crash, a previous press release states. Volvo’s new seatbelt expands the load-limiting profiles from three to 11 and increases the possible number of settings, enabling it to optimize performance for each situation and individual.
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Photo courtesy of Volvo