Volvo promises deathproof cars by 2020 - Hasn't had a single US fatality in the XC90 in four years
Volvo promises deathproof cars by 2020
by Peter Valdes-Dapena
January 20, 2016: 11:22 AM ET
Volvo has made a shocking pledge: By 2020, no one will be
killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car or SUV.
Seriously.
"If you meet Swedish engineers, they're pretty
genuine," said Lex Kerssemakers, CEO of Volvo Cars North America.
"They don't say things when they don't believe in it."
There is one big caveat. If someone really wants to hurt
themselves, or is just really, really stupid... well, Volvo can't do anything
about that. But, assuming you're not a suicidal maniac or a total idiot, in
four years, you'll be safer driving a new Volvo than you are climbing a ladder
to screw in a light bulb.
Fatality-free vehicles are not unprecedented. In fact,
there already are some, and they're not just Volvos. According to data from the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are nine vehicle models --
including the Volvo XC90 -- in which no one in the United States has died in at
least four years.
Volvo, still based in Sweden but now owned by China's
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (GELYY), wants to make this the case for its
entire vehicle line up throughout the world. The automaker already tracks how
many people die in its vehicles in order to monitor safety. That way, engineers
can tell how much safer their vehicles become each time they roll out a new
crash-prevention technology. That also helps Volvo predict how much safer its
vehicles will be with each new advancement.
New smart car tech already saving lives
Ultimately, all these new technologies will be tied to
together to create a car that can, literally, drive itself. In fact, a number
of automakers, not just Volvo, have promised to sell autonomous cars by 2020.
"With the development of full autonomy we are going
to push the limits of automotive safety," said Volvo safety engineer Erik
Coelingh, "because if you make a fully autonomous vehicle you have to
think through everything that potentially can happen with a car."
That doesn't mean that drivers will necessarily have to
use the car's autonomous driving mode in order to be safe, though. Even when
the driver is in full control of the car, these systems will still run in the
background, ready to take over the instant there's danger.
Most of the technology that's required for autonomous
driving is already available from Volvo and other carmakers. Here's a look at
the features that, when combined all together in one vehicle, will essentially
make it crashproof.
Adaptive Cruise Control: Adaptive cruise control, which
is already available on many new cars, uses radar and sometimes other sensors
to detect vehicles on the road ahead. You set a maximum speed and then your car
maintains a safe following distance on its own, operating the gas and the
brakes for you. Some systems like this only work at highway cruising speeds,
but many can work even in stop-and-go traffic.
Auto lane keeping assist: Cameras detect lane lines and
road edges, and the car steers itself to stay in its lane.
Collision avoidance: Radar, cameras or other sensors
detect obstacles ahead and warn the driver. If the driver still doesn't react,
the car can apply the brakes automatically to avoid, or at least reduce, the
impact of a crash. In the United States, auto safety regulators have found this
technology particularly effective in reducing crashes.
Pedestrian detection: Cameras, including ones that can
see in the dark, are programmed to detect human forms that might wander into
the path of the car. Drivers can be alerted and again, the car can brake
automatically.
Large animal detection: Hitting a moose, deer or elk is
definitely bad for the animal but it's also very bad for a car's passengers.
Volvo has created a system that can detect when a big animal is walking in
front of your car, saving both you and the absent-minded animal.
CNNMoney (New York)
First published January 20, 2016: 11:22 AM ET
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