Volvo has launched a new connected safety system which allows its cars to receive warnings of accidents on the road ahead of you.
Accident Ahead Alert
The new technology, called Accident Ahead Alert, uses software which has actually been fitted to various Volvo models since 2016. Up till now, it's been used to allow Volvo cars to communicate with each other and alert drivers of nearby slippery road conditions and hazards. Now, it can be used to warn of actual accidents and blockages in the road ahead of you.
As Volvo puts it: "You're driving down a winding country road. It's impossible to see beyond the road in front of you. Suddenly, your Volvo car alerts you: there's been an accident ahead. As you calmly decelerate and come around the next curve, you see a crashed car in your lane. Thanks to the warning, you were prepared and could react proactively."
Data from and for other car brands
The location data is provided by national road authorities and other compatible cars, initially other Volvo cars, and it works in real-time. As the tech rolls out, Volvo says it wants to integrate data from the European Data For Road Safety 'ecosystem' and warnings and information from other car brands. Volvo says that it is already happy to share data with those other brands, in the interests of road safety.
Current Volvo owners can already start sharing their own data if they wish: simply activate it using the 'connected safety' option in your car's centre display. The car will then be able to alert the driver of an accident ahead by using the hazard light alert in the dashboard and, if available, the head-up display. Volvo says that all of the data used is anonymised to protect your privacy. "We're happy that Volvo Cars, as the first car maker to do so, has started using our new real-time traffic event data feed," says Stine Bendsen, Head of the Danish Traffic Management Centre at the Danish Road Directorate. "A quick alert about an accident ahead gives the driver more time to slow down and increase the distance to the car in front. This helps to lower the risk of follow-up collisions and protect the people working to clear the road."
Avoid unpleasant surprises
"Using our groundbreaking connected safety technology, our Accident Ahead Alert can help Volvo drivers avoid unpleasant surprises, while contributing to making roads safer for all," says Åsa Haglund, Head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. "Thanks to our collaboration with the Danish Road Directorate and other partners in the Data for Road Safety ecosystem, we can introduce this new feature and continue our leadership in safety innovations."
Right now, the new Accident Ahead Alert is only available in Denmark and on Volvo 90, 60, and 40-series models sold since 2016. The system will be rolled out to other European markets in the coming months.