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Volvo has had up to här with the drivers. The Swedish automaker has spent decades building a reputation for safety (and understated luxury), but humanity 's taste for speed, distraction and impaired driving remains a threat. no airbag, semi-autonomous system or moose detection system can neutralize. Thus, this week, Volvo has announced a series of potentially controversial initiatives that will contribute to achieving its Vision 2020 goal – no more deaths or serious injuries in its new cars – by encouraging its customers to behave.
After announcing a few weeks ago that it would limit the top speed of all its new cars to 112 mph, Volvo will make efforts to eliminate impaired driving, keep young drivers under control and help its drivers competitors to take advantage of his years of security research.
To improve driver behavior, you need to know how it behaves. That's why Volvo, which celebrates this year its 60th anniversary of the introduction of the three-point seat belt, will begin to install indoor-oriented cameras of all its cars. These will point the driver to his images through algorithms taking into account eye movements, posture, braking and braking reaction times, as well as long-term patterns.
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If the car detects any signs of carelessness or road degradation, it will emit more and more important alerts and even physically correct the driving of the vehicle. This could reduce speed, trigger a friendly Volvo on-call call, or stop by itself, even if the driver resists movement. (For those with privacy concerns, Volvo says its cameras do not store images, but badyze the numbers and data generated by these images while driving.)
The challenge here is to design systems that correctly interpret the behavior of people and that owners do not hold as protection against their own distraction or drunkenness. "Over-dependence is a reality," said Malin Ekholm, who heads Volvo's security center. She cites drivers who have become more aggressive with cars equipped with antilock brakes and AWD. The trick is to find a balance between helping clients stay safe and making them complacent about their role. "Our systems have to be there for you when you need them, not for you to use them," she says.
To answer the question of speed, Volvo has created the "Care Key", a key allowing owners to set limits based on driving. It will become the standard in all Volvo with the 2021 model year. But it is the integrated 112 mph heading that is more likely to annoy drivers concerned about freedom. Volvo acknowledges that few accidents occur at such bizarre speeds, but CEO Håkan Samuelsson says that a limit will allow the public to get used to the idea and will pave the way for future technologies capable of automatically limiting speed, according to local laws building zones.
If you want to limit the driving speed of the population, Volvo owners are a pretty safe bet. Anders Gustafsson, North American leader of the company, recognizes that its customers "have a certain DNA"; they are turning to the brand for its safety-oriented attitude. And Samuelsson does not seem to fear losing some buyers. "We want to attract people who think it's important to drive safely," he said. "Limiting it to 112 mph would of course discourage male runners from taking the mark, and I think it's pretty good. Also, those who love the eight- and six-cylinder engines – we probably have already lost them anyway. "(Volvo, like other automakers, has adopted the supercharged four-cylinder engine, as well as more electric and hybrid models.) Gustafsson does not expect to sacrifice performance. Torque and power always attract drivers, and good acceleration can be a security feature when you try to overtake a semi-attack by swaying on your lane on the highway.
To top it off, Volvo will allow other manufacturers and research entities to access data collected since 1970 via a new digital library. This includes studies that have, in the past, refined cervical badlash protection strategies based on differences in neck strength between men and women and improved lateral impact injuries. thanks to inflatable curtains. More recently, research has helped Volvo to develop corrective measures to protect the spine against rolling showers, including a strategy for absorbing energy in the seats.
Most importantly, Volvo executives believe that their customers and their reputation put them in a good position to lead such safety initiatives, even those that might put some drivers off. But Samuelsson does not think Volvo will stay alone for long. "I would be very surprised if all cars do not have a speed limiter in five years," he said.
Unless there is a major regulatory or philosophical change in the leadership of Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Lamborghini and Ferrari, this will not happen. But that does not stop Volvo from running to his own finish line, and hoping everyone else follows.
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