Volvo plots 'uncrashable' car
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[07/15/2008] Volvo has announced its latest mission for 2020 - no person shall be injured or killed in one of its cars. Tall order?
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Volvo has announced its latest mission for 2020 - no person shall be injured or killed in one of its cars. Tall order?
The World Health Organisation estimates that around 1.2 million people are killed and more than 50 million injured in traffic accidents every year. These figures are expected to increase, and Volvo wants to do something about it.
"We don't accept that people lose their lives in airplane accidents, so why should we regard car accidents as inevitable?" said Jan Ivarsson, Volvo Car Corporation's head of safety strategy.
Investigating accidents since 1970
The Volvo Cars Traffic Accident Research Team has investigated accidents since 1970 and its database contains information about more than 36 000 accidents. The team studies crashed cars and also investigates driving scenarios to learn more about the accidents.
Volvo also established a traffic accident research centre in Thailand in 2003 that, while providing Thai officials with more information about the countries traffic situation, also allows the manufacturer to better understand traffic in emerging markets.
Much of this information can be used in the development of future cars and by using research based on real traffic situations, too, Volvo claims it has learned how to design cars that offer a very high level of safety in collisions.
Cooperation is vital
The next step for Volvo is to design cars that "help the driver avoid accidents". The manufacturer, however, does admit that the technology to design a collision-free environment is not yet in place… And that it has not solely responsible for ensuring a collision-free environment.
Cooperation between traffic authorities and other parts of the automotive industry is essential, the manufacturer says.
"There is considerable safety potential in creating communication between cars and infrastructure. Two cars could for example warn each other of queues or slippery roads. Infrastructure sensors could warn the driver of people or animals crossing the road," explained Ivarsson.
This would require that all cars, regardless of brand, speak the same "language" to allow for this communication.
Soit seems it may soonbe acceptable to talk to your car after all.
The World Health Organisation estimates that around 1.2 million people are killed and more than 50 million injured in traffic accidents every year. These figures are expected to increase, and Volvo wants to do something about it.
"We don't accept that people lose their lives in airplane accidents, so why should we regard car accidents as inevitable?" said Jan Ivarsson, Volvo Car Corporation's head of safety strategy.
Investigating accidents since 1970
The Volvo Cars Traffic Accident Research Team has investigated accidents since 1970 and its database contains information about more than 36 000 accidents. The team studies crashed cars and also investigates driving scenarios to learn more about the accidents.
Volvo also established a traffic accident research centre in Thailand in 2003 that, while providing Thai officials with more information about the countries traffic situation, also allows the manufacturer to better understand traffic in emerging markets.
Much of this information can be used in the development of future cars and by using research based on real traffic situations, too, Volvo claims it has learned how to design cars that offer a very high level of safety in collisions.
Cooperation is vital
The next step for Volvo is to design cars that "help the driver avoid accidents". The manufacturer, however, does admit that the technology to design a collision-free environment is not yet in place… And that it has not solely responsible for ensuring a collision-free environment.
Cooperation between traffic authorities and other parts of the automotive industry is essential, the manufacturer says.
"There is considerable safety potential in creating communication between cars and infrastructure. Two cars could for example warn each other of queues or slippery roads. Infrastructure sensors could warn the driver of people or animals crossing the road," explained Ivarsson.
This would require that all cars, regardless of brand, speak the same "language" to allow for this communication.
Soit seems it may soonbe acceptable to talk to your car after all.
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