Volvo Trucks is introducing a cloud-based service, Connected Safety, which
allows Volvo trucks and Volvo cars to automatically alert each other to
hazardous traffic situations. Thanks to pioneering collaboration, two
independent vehicle manufacturers are allowing their cars and trucks to
share real-time traffic hazard information.
The passenger-car version of Connected Safety was launched by Volvo Cars
in 2016. With Volvo Trucks now rolling out its version of the service,
trucks and cars are able to alert each other to potential hazards. This is
possible because the two companies share safety-related data between their
respective clouds.
Expanded cooperation between different players is one of the most
important keys to improved road safety. If more vehicles are able to
exchange real-time information about the traffic situation, it will lower
the risk of accidents. With Connected Safety we are opening the door to
the future, with the hope that more vehicle manufacturers will join
in, says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director at
Volvo Trucks.
Connected Safety was developed to send out alerts to nearby vehicles
connected to the service whenever a driver activates the vehicle’s hazard
warning lights.
A vehicle standing still by the roadside in poor visibility risks
being hit from the rear, which can have severe consequences. An alert
issued well in advance gives all drivers of nearby cars and trucks the
same opportunity to reduce speed, adjust their driving to the traffic
situation and avoid a collision," explains Carl Johan Almqvist.
In the longer term, the cloud-based service can be expanded with
additional safety-enhancing functions.
As the technology undergoes further refinement and more vehicles are
linked to the system, real-time information will become an important
complement to the various intelligent safety and driver support systems
found in our trucks today. Connected Safety marks the start of a new phase
in our ongoing drive to promote safe driving and prevent accidents,"
says Emanuele Piga, Director Customer Solutions & New Services
Development at Volvo Trucks.
Volvo Trucks will initially introduce Connected Safety on new trucks in
Sweden and Norway, where both Volvo Trucks and Volvo Cars account for a
significant proportion of annual new-vehicle registrations.
