Collision-Avoidance Technology Working Well
The Highway Loss Data Institute reports City Safety, Volvo's low-speed collision-avoidance system, is helping drivers avoid fender-benders on congested roads.
Automakers' collision-avoidance technologies are working well, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the related Highway Loss Data Institute. The latter's latest report, dated April 25, says City Safety, Volvo's low-speed collision-avoidance system, is helping drivers avoid fender-benders on congested roads.
The technology is found in S60 and XC60 vehicles. Earlier, HLDI reported promising results for technologies offered by Acura, Mercedes, and Volvo.
"Consistent with prior results, this study shows that forward collision systems are working. That is good news because an increasing number of vehicles have these features," Matthew Moore, HLDI vice president and director of the study, said in an article in the organizations' Status Report. "These features are preventing common, everyday crashes caused by inattentive drivers or drivers who don't react quickly enough to emergency situations."
The article estimates benefits for XC60 midsize luxury SUVs and examines insurance loss data for S60 midsize luxury cars.
As the article describes it, City Safety uses a light detection and ranging sensor built into the windshield to detect a stopped or slower-moving vehicle ahead. If a crash is imminent, the system precharges the brakes; if the driver does not react, it independently applies the brakes prior to impact. City Safety operates at speeds up to 19 mph.