Volvo safety still tops

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Annette McLeod Sun Media

Volvo is addressing driving distraction -- which, according to their research, accounts for up to 90 per cent of all traffic collisions -- by introducing an innovative system called Driver Alert Control (DAC).

Beyond the usual suspects such as cellphones, other assorted electronic gadgetry, wolfing down McMuffins and the like, the system addresses driver inattentiveness caused by fatigue -- or just plain dozing off.

The system will be offered alongside the company's Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system, which alerts the driver if the car crosses a road marking, as part of a Driver Alert System option package on the S80, V70 and XC70 beginning in 2008.

"Real-life safety is the key to our safety philosophy," said Ingrid Skogsmo, director of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre, in a release. "When it comes to preventive safety, we have the same approach as when we develop protective systems. In other words, that our research and technical development focus on areas where new technology can create significant results in real-life traffic."

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says drivers falling asleep at the wheel cause about 100,000 collisions each year in the U.S., with 1,500 of them resulting in death and 70,000 in injury to drivers and passengers. The German Insurance Association has similar findings, saying that 25 per cent of all fatalities on the Autobahn are caused by driver fatigue.

DAC monitors the car's movement and assesses if the vehicle is being driven in a controlled or uncontrolled way; the system kicks in at 65 km/h and stays active as long as speeds stay higher than 60 km/h.

"We do not monitor human behaviour -- which varies from one person to another -- but instead the effect that fatigue or decreased concentration has on driving behaviour," says Daniel Levin, project manager for Driver Alert Control at Volvo Cars. "Our system is based on the car's progress on the road. It gives a reliable indication if something is likely to go wrong and alerts the driver before it is too late."

Volvo says the system is primarily intended particularly for situations, such as a straight, smooth road, that can lull a driver into a sense of relaxation, upping the risk of his falling asleep.

The system comprises a camera, a number of sensors (none of which monitor eye activity -- the company says that technology is too immature for use at the moment), and a control unit. The camera is installed in the windshield in front of the rearview mirror, and measures the distance between the vehicle and the road lane markings, while the sensors register vehicle movement. The control unit stores the information and assesses whether the driver is at a high risk of losing control of the vehicle, at which time the driver is alerted by an audible signal. A text message also appears on the dash, telling him (or her) to take a break.

The system also allows drivers to check the information stored in the vehicle's trip computer: five bars for consistent driving, with fewer bars indicating inconsistencies.

The LDW system, by Volvo's research, may help prevent 30 to 40 per cent of the estimated one-quarter of all crashes (in the U.S.) that result from road departures.

A button on the centre stack activates the system, which alerts the driver with a warning sound if the vehicle crosses a road marking without an obvious reason, such as the use of a turn indicator. This system also operates when the vehicle is travelling at more than 60 km/h.

Such a system depends, of course, on the number and quality of road markings, as well as decent weather conditions.

The company also is introducing Collision Warning with Auto Brake, which engages the vehicle's brakes when a driver fails to act and a rear-end collision with a moving or stationary vehicle is imminent.

The company says that in more than 50 per cent of rear-impact collisions (which account for one-third of all crashes), the driver doesn't brake at all. A warning system was introduced in the 2007 S80, but didn't actually apply braking. The new system uses both radar and a camera to detect vehicles in front of the Volvo.

"Since the system combines information both from the radar sensor and the camera, it gives such a high confidence level that automatic braking is possible if a collision is imminent," says Jonas Tisell, technical project manager for Collision Warning with Auto Brake at Volvo Cars. "The system is programmed to activate autonomous braking only if both sensors agree that the situation is critical."

Tisell says in a release that 50 per cent of all rear-end collisions involve a stationary object, which is the major benefit of adding a camera to the system. And with two different monitoring systems at work, the likelihood of false alarms is reduced.

The system allows drivers to regulate the system's sensitivity.

I remember, back when I was a lass, cars weren't even required to have seatbelts in the back seat. One wonders how ubiquitous such technologically advanced systems will be 20 years from now -- quite, I hope.

Annette McLeod is Sun Media's National Automotive Editor.