Driver Fatigue, Rear-End Collisions May Come to a Halt

In the U.S. alone, the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) estimates more than 100,000 accidents annually are caused by driver fatigue, resulting in 1,500 deaths. The NHSTA also indicates rear-end collisions are the most common of all accident types, totaling 29 percent of all incidents reported by the police. To help curb these statistics and end driver distractions, auto manufacturer Volvo is installing new technologies in specified models: Collision Warning with Auto Brake, Adaptive Cruise Control and Distance Alert, Driver Alert Control and Lane Departure Warning.

Using both radar and a camera to detect vehicles in front of the vehicle, the Collision Warning with Auto Brake system automatically forces the vehicle to come to a halt when a collision is imminent. In conjunction with this, the Adaptive Cruise Control system works to maintain the distance to the car in front by using a radar sensor to monitor speed. For drivers suffering from fatigue or are distracted, the Driver Alert Control monitors the car’s movements to alert the person behind the wheel via audio signals and text messaging. The Lane Departure Warning also uses an audible signal to alert drivers if the car crosses one of the road marking without an obvious reason.

All four systems are expected to be installed in the Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 by the end of 2007.