Reduced accident risk with Volvo’s active safety system

Reduced accident risk with Volvo's active safety system

Since 2001, fatal accidents on the European road network have dropped by about
20 percent. The EU target is to halve this figure by 2010. One way of reducing
risks in traffic is to integrate accident-preventive active safety systems into
the vehicles themselves. Coinciding neatly with the EU's Road Safety Day on
April 27, Volvo Trucks is introducing two such systems, Lane Keeping Support and
Adaptive Cruise Control.

“The fast pace of technological development these past few years has created
entirely new opportunities when it comes to accident-preventive safety,” says
Claes Avedal, who heads the accident research at Volvo Trucks. “One good example
is the implementation of the active stability-enhancing program, ESP, one of the
most important advances in this area. With our new systems, we are taking yet
another step in the right direction.” 

LKS keeps a watchful eye on the lane-marking lines 
Accidents involving trucks are often caused when a truck veers from its current
lane for one reason or another. “The driver loses his concentration for a moment
and that is when the risk is greatest of also losing control over the vehicle,”
explains Claes Avedal. 

With the help of Lane Keeping Support (LKS) this type of accident can be
considerably reduced. The system, which is activated at 60 km/h, continuously
monitors the lane-marker lines and alerts the driver via an audible signal if
the truck accidentally starts wandering from its current lane. At the same time
as Volvo launches LKS, a new generation of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is also
being introduced, with greater braking force than before. The ACC system is an
advanced type of cruise control that uses a radar unit linked to the engine and
brakes to maintain a set safety gap behind the vehicle in front.

Volvo Trucks has a long tradition of pursuing the development of safety systems
for heavy trucks. Over the years, the company has achieved a number of
pioneering breakthroughs, such as the introduction of the safety cab, the
fitting of seat belts as standard, the deformable steering wheel and much more.

April 13, 2007

For further information, please contact:
Marie Vassiliadis, phone +46 31 322 41 27, e-mail marie.vassiliadis@volvo.com


Volvo Trucks sells trucks and  transport solutions, specialized in heavy trucks
with total weights above 16 tons. The company's products are marketed in more
than 130 countries. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's
leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems
for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. The
Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service.