New Volvo warning system to help prevent rear-end collisions

New Volvo warning system to help prevent rear-end collisions

By: ROBINSON/BEINTEMA AUTOFILES

Volvo Car Corporation continues to address the problem of rear-end collisions by introducing Collision Warning with Auto Brake, a refined warning system that autonomously engages a vehicle's braking system if the driver fails to act when a rear-end collision with a moving or stationary vehicle is imminent.

The new system will be available in the Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 in the 2008 calendar year.

Rear impacts represent a third of all reported collisions and in more than 50 per cent of the cases, the driver doesn't brake at all.

Collision Warning with Brake Support was introduced in the 2007 S80 sedan and warned the driver through visual and audible signals of the potential for an impact. 

This first generation system also prepared and pre-charged the braking system in anticipation of a panic stop. The new Volvo Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB) takes things a step further, automatically activating the braking system to reduce the vehicle's speed if the driver doesn't act when a rear-end collision with a moving or stationary vehicle is imminent.

While the original warning-only system is radar-based, the new CWAB uses both radar and a camera to detect vehicles in front of the vehicle. The radar monitors an area 150 metres in front of the vehicle while the camera range is 55 metres.  Using Data Fusion technology to combine information from the radar and the camera, the system becomes more efficient.

One of the main advantages of the camera is the possibility of detecting stationary vehicles. As well, with two different monitoring systems at work, it reduces the likelihood of false alarms.
 

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