Forging ahead with smart systems
VOLVO’S ethos for all their vehicles, is to pack it with the most comprehensive of safety systems and equipment to bring about the safest cars for the world.
On that note, the Swedish carmaker created IntelliSafe, that’s effectively a suite of intuitive safety systems parked under three categories.
Starting with IntelliSafe Surround, this category includes safety systems such as Blind Spot Information, Rear Collision Warning, Cross Traffic Alert and 360 Surround View.
The IntelliSafe Assist category contains other systems and items such as Distance Alert, Driver Alert Control, Road Sign Information as well as Safety cage (approximately 40% of the vehicle’s total body weight is hot-formed Boron steel), airbags, Park Assist Pilot to take over parking duties and Integrated Booster cushions for children on the rear bench.
Also included are autonomous and semi-autonomous systems within, such as Adaptive Cruise Control which allows the driver to assume steering duties on the highway while the vehicle manages speed and distance to the vehicle ahead.
The second-generation Pilot Assist, on the other hand, takes over steering duties, but the driver must maintain contact with the steering wheel and can remain active from 0 to 130kph (including stop-go traffic situations).
The system can be disengaged if the driver uses the brakes, accelerator pedal or steering wheel and can be temporarily disengaged when using the turn signal to change lanes.
Lastly, with Lane Keeping Aid, the vehicle uses its camera system to help the driver maintain the vehicle’s position within the lane at speeds of up to 130kph.
Within the third category, Volvo has included two other world-first systems to help prevent the occurrence of ‘run-off road’ accidents, which operates from 65 to 140kph, that could be due to driver inattentiveness, fatigue or poor weather conditions.
The first of the two systems is Run-off Road Mitigation that utilises evasive steering manoeuvres and braking to support the driver to help stabilise the car in situations where an accidental road departure is detected as imminent.
When a potential run off road situation arises, torque is applied to the steering to support the driver along with braking action if needed and can be overridden by the driver’s intervention.
The second system is Run-off Road Protection, which actively detects for a runoff road scenario from the vehicle’s multitude of sensors. If detected, the system electrically tightens the front seat belts as much as possible to keep occupants in position should it deem that an impact is imminent.
To prevent spine injuries Volvo has designed an energy-absorbing function between the seat and seat frame, which deforms mechanically to cushion the vertical forces that can arise should the car encounter a hard landing.
Lastly, the City Safety system continuously uses the vehicle’s camera and radar system to detect, identify and range vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and large animals (moose, elk and deer included) and if detected, the driver will be warned.
Once the driver brakes or steers to avoid a collision, the system can provide additional brake pressure if needed. But, if no action is taken, it will quickly tighten the front seat belts before automatically applying the brakes at the very last second to help reduce the risk of injury and loss of life.
If a cyclist is detected, the system will apply the brakes to reduce the vehicle’s speed by 50kph to help avoid a collision and should the driver turn in front of an oncoming vehicle the system will brake automatically if no action is taken, but if a collision is imminent, at speeds above 10kph, the front safety belts are automatically tightened.
With vehicles (cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses) which are travelling ahead of the car, moving slower in the same direction, braking or not moving, as long as the speed difference is not more than 50kph, a collision can be avoided. At higher speed differences, the collision is mitigated.
The driver can take control and brake and/ or steer away at any time, but if a collision is imminent, at speeds above 30kph, the front safety belts are tightened to secure the front passenger and driver.
As for pedestrians who are in or have moved into the path of the vehicle, the system automatically applies the brakes and can bring the vehicle to a complete stop from 45kph and below, but from 70kph the collision is mitigated instead.
When involving large animals, the system is able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop at speeds of up to 30kph and anything above that, the car’s speed can be reduced by up to 15kph to mitigate the impact.
With such a robust list of passive and active safety systems, Volvo has made it a point to include them into their latest flagship S90 sedan as well as XC90 and XC60 sport utility vehicles which are available locally.