Some are already familiar with applications that inform drivers of imminent danger, warning them that an accident has occurred on their route several hundred meters in front of their position. The kind of service that is really practical, that provides safety, that gives the driver time to slow down, to remain vigilant and, above all, not to follow the vehicle in front too closely.
These are all adaptations that can prevent the driver from causing another collision and creating even more damage, or spare the workers who are busy clearing the road at the scene of the accident.
We can already easily find this type of application on our cell phones, for example Google Maps in particular, but Volvo goes a little further in this spirit with its new functionality, called Accident Ahead Alert.
This time it is a function that would use real data from a traffic management center run by a country’s government. What’s more, the service could be integrated directly into the infotainment screen of your vehicle.
Volvo owners who have this service will be notified up to 100 meters in advance. If an accident is detected ahead, they will be notified by an alert displayed on their vehicle’s instrument cluster, and by the head-up display.
Due to these specific features, Volvo’s tool becomes the first technical functionality of its kind in the automotive industry.
It will use Volvo’s cloud, a technology which, since 2016, has already allowed the brand’s drivers to alert each other about road conditions – if a road surface is slippery, for example.
For the moment, there is no point looking for this feature on Volvo vehicles in Quebec. At the time of writing, this service was only offered in Denmark.
However, shortly, the company wants to extend its service across Europe, which will involve collaboration with the European data ecosystem for road safety, in order to ensure maximum service. The problem is that the transmission of information will take place exclusively between connected Volvo products.
A real innovation?
Before claiming true innovation at Volvo, a few caveats are in order.
First, until now, some tech companies have navigation apps that also include accident warnings. These opinions are generally transmitted by other people who are traveling at the same time on the road, in a kind of collective consultation.
It’s easy to imagine that this type of system could potentially offer information in a more diligent and less restrictive way than having to rely entirely on connected Volvo vehicles.
The other question mark at the moment over Volvo’s new feature is how governments monitor their roads. We understand that from one country to another, the hubs may vary.
If a major accident occurs on a stretch of highway covered in surveillance cameras, it’s likely that these hubs will be the first to know and receive more complete details than everyone else.
That said, it’s a safe bet that an accident that occurs on a road less traveled may require more time before the government is notified and can then transmit the information to your vehicle.
One wonders if theAccident Ahead Alert from Volvo will offer other options. Great question.
In terms of exchanging information between vehicles, there are also certain navigation applications that can warn drivers of speed traps ahead of them, in order to avoid a fine. Would it be possible that eventually traffic control centers could inform Volvo of the location of each police vehicle with a speed detector displayed?
Could requiring cars to be linked to a government database discourage some people from purchasing a connected vehicle from the brand?
At this time, Volvo has not officially designated its new technology as a pilot program. However, the fact that it is deployed in Denmark makes it appear that this is the case. And we are entitled to expect that the service will extend to the whole of Europe and that it will reach Western markets, notably the United States and Canada.
Will Volvo revolutionize the world of road safety with this product? Not really. But it will certainly offer an additional tool of choice to drivers to enable them to drive safely on the roads, even when they are preparing to drive towards the scene of an accident.