Tech Watch: Volvo Readies "City Safety" System
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(Photo courtesy of Volvo)
Volvo's high-tech City Safety system will be out in 2008; it's intended to help drivers avoid rear-end accidents and other fender benders.
GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Volvo has said its latest high-tech safety system, "City Safety," could help drivers avoid 50 percent of all rear-end, low-speed accidents that often happen in urban settings or slow-moving traffic.
The new system, which was announced on Friday, should be available on production vehicles within two years.
"City Safety" is active up to 18.5 mph and keeps an eye on traffic via an optical radar system built into the upper part of the windshield. If a car in front suddenly brakes or is stationary, the system will automatically precharge the brakes to help the driver avoid an accident by slowing down or steering away from a potential collision. If a collision is imminent, the system will activate the car's brakes automatically.
The system runs a calculation 50 times per second to determine what braking speed is needed to avoid a collision, based on the distance to the object in front and the car's own speed.
Volvo said the system works day or night, but "will have the same limitations as any other radar systems, so [it] can be limited by fog, mist, snow or heavy rain."
What this means to you: Safety leader Volvo comes up with yet another intriguing safety system — but will some drivers see it as intrusive?
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