One of the most comprehensive scientific studies performed on collision avoidance systems in cars reveals that Volvo Cars’ standard City Safety technology reduces rear-end frontal collisions.
The main benefit of City Safety is its ability to reduce the incidence of whiplash and other neck-related injuries caused by low-speed traffic accidents. The secondary benefit to Volvo car drivers is a reduction in accident damage to their cars and the costs that this incurs.
Volvo Cars launched its first collision avoidance technology in 2006. City Safety was introduced as standard in all new Volvo car models from 2008.
The figures from the study show that cars equipped with the first two generations of City Safety (active automatic braking up to 30/50 km/h in certain traffic situations) were involved in 28 per cent fewer accidents.
Collision avoidance systems are increasingly popular with motorists that spend a lot of time behind the wheel in stop-and-go commuting traffic where the risk for low speed collisions is quite high. Volvo Cars introduced City Safety as standard in new models from 2008. The first generation of the technology worked at speeds up to 30 km/h. This was subsequently increased to 50 km/h in 2013. In 2015 City Safety has again evolved and in the new XC90 it now operates at all speeds.
“We see our continuous development of collision avoidance and steering assist systems as stepping stones towards autonomous cars. Volvo Cars is already at the forefront of autonomous car development and our huge credibility in car safety is a major advantage. We believe that collision avoidance systems will be an enabler for cars that do not crash and allow people the freedom to drive or be driven in comfort to their destination,” said Magdalena Lindman, Technical Expert, Traffic Safety Data Analysis at Volvo Cars.
With Volvo Cars’ long held Vision 2020 the Swedish car maker aims to deliver cars in which no one is seriously injured or killed by the year 2020. Their longer term goal is to design cars that do not crash.