Volvo is an ambitious car company and one of Scandinavia’s biggest exports. The company generates billions of dollars for the local economies, and makes some of the most desired vehicles in the entire world.
The automotive company did something no other automaker had ever done. The company set an ambitious goal to eliminate serious injuries from its vehicles by the year 2020.
Unfortunately, its “Vision 2020” didn’t succeed. Autonomous driving technology simply didn’t develop in the way it had hoped. As with most stretch targets, the venture was a success.
Now Volvo has taken all of that learning and embedded it into its newest premium all-electric SUV: the EX90. The company is looking to give drivers a safe and protective driving experience.
Volvo has packed in a lot of technology into its latest vehicles. Volvo has some of most advanced features available in the automotive industry. These include blindspots and pedestrian detection.
The Vehicle’s Safety Features
For example, if you buy the car, you’ll get something called the “driver understanding system.” This is essentially two interior sensors and a capacitative steering wheel that can detect whether you are drowsy and whether the vehicle needs to step in to keep you on the road. If you fall asleep at the wheel for example, the technology in the car will keep it on the road, and send you alerts to tell you to get up and stop. It’s a remarkable setup.
Another feature, called occupant sensing, takes a slightly different approach. It alerts you to a potentially dangerous situation if you accidentally leave something in your vehicle.
For example, let’s say you take your baby to the grocery store but forget you left them in the back seat. This will cause the EX90 to send you an audio alert as well as a text message if this mistake is made. It can also be used to protect children, dogs and valuables left on the back seat in the view of criminals.
Volvo has integrated its intersection straight crossing functionality into the new EX90. Automakers are aware that intersections can be dangerous. Many drivers ignore stop signs and plow right through intersections, resulting in T-bone accidents.
“We see a lot of this type of crash in our line of work,” says Demand the Limit, an attorney that deals with personal injury cases. “At-fault drivers will jump the lights and not bother looking either side to see if oncoming traffic is approaching. As such, accidents become significantly more likely because the victim believes they are safe.”
Volvo EX90 fixes this problem using sensors that scan intersections. Computers can detect if an oncoming car is about to run the red light, and then automatically apply emergency brakes to avoid a collision.
The car accident lawyer believes the technology will save lives. “There’s no doubt that crossroad accidents are among the most common. Any device that can stop them from happening will have an appreciable impact on the number of people seriously injured on the roads.”
But the safety technology doesn’t end there. Volvo is also pioneering its “Safe Space” technology which uses a combination of ultrasonic sensors, lidar, radar, and cameras to ensure the EX90 avoids danger. The car company says all these systems continually scan the road, looking for danger in front of the car, allowing the vehicle to accurately identify other cars’ locations and distances with high precision. This information lets the vehicle get a better understanding of the environment and provides the driver with “support” when necessary.
This support can take on any form, and that’s what makes this car so innovative. It isn’t trying to pigeonhole its Safe Space technology at all or apply it in specific situations. The vehicle intervenes when it detects that safety thresholds are being exceeded.
This means, in practice, that the car will brake if it detects you approaching traffic from behind too quickly, or take over if your lane is swerved out, and may even slow down if a corner, intersection, or other obstacle is approached too quickly. The Pilot Assist is used in combination with this feature to improve the driving experience.
“The ability to detect possible accidents before they happen is game-changing,” Demand the Limit says. “The number of people who could avoid having to go into debt to pay medical bills or take time off work is enormous.”
Volvo wants to avoid accidents. It wants to protect its customers from harm by providing a cocoon of safety that will keep them safe on the road. The vehicle will take over for the driver, providing assistance even when they are distracted.
Not everyone can afford to buy such advanced technology. In the past, climate control was not standard on most vehicles.
What Can be done to stop crashes?
It’s unlikely that Volvo’s technology as it stands will single-handedly end crashes. The technology will enable drivers to avoid many situations, but collisions are still possible. The EX90 can be hit by other drivers before it has a chance to react.
However, that’s not the end of the story. Volvo has developed technology to reduce impacts in the event of a crash. Volvo has developed a number of safety features, including an ultra-reinforced chassis, side airbags and multiple crumple zones that protect vehicle occupants in all directions.
In short, eliminating crashes entirely probably isn’t possible without massive changes to the vehicle fleet as a whole. These technological innovations will have a major impact.
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