At a recent Volvo press event meant to show how its new collision warning system with auto brake on the 2011 S60 works - it didn’t.
“Volvo’s new Collision Warning with Auto Brake automatically brakes the car if there is an imminent risk of a collision with a moving or stationary vehicle,” Volvo writes about the collision avoidance system. “The system starts by alerting the driver and preparing the braking system for emergency braking. If the driver does not respond despite the warning, the brakes are automatically applied.”
Volvo set up a demonstration of how it all works by launching a new S60 equipped with the system at around 35 km/h (22 mph) towards a parked truck. The system was then supposed to stop the vehicle before it hit the truck. The test promptly went from a demonstration of an advanced safety feature to a showcase of how destructive a crash at even 22 mph can be.
Luckily the demonstration took place without a driver so no one was injured. Although the system failed in this test, the system worked flawlessly in an earlier demonstration. Volvo claims the particular pre-production test car “suffered from the result of human error in preparation,” blaming the battery for the incident.
5 comments:
:lol: Oops --- Bil är bruten...!
:-P
Well, the wipers work at least :)
Its a good thing that the cars used in the 'Bourne Ultimatum' didn't have this feature. It would have made for a fairly boring car chase.
Now the drivers will have their legs on the passenger seat while texting and tending to the child in the back seat. What could go wrong?
Dirty car sensors, trucks with high clearances, slow bikes, steam from manholes, fog, tumbleweed trash bags j-walking, dead alternators... Yes, I will pass. Thank you.
and furthermore... (I will try not to rant but this kind of 'progress' bothers me)
How many accidents will occur just after someone says, "Hey, watch what my new car can do"? (So far, I count one :) )
And why wait for the safe opening to pull out into traffic? Just go for it because you will KNOW that the oncomming cars will yield - only now, spilling your coffee will be an automated feature and not just a reactionary move for self preservation (Here in Dallas, folks already pull out without looking - so we are well prepared for this new 'feature')
And what happens when you are driving in snow and your back tires start to wander? Ideally, you will instinctively steer the tires where you want to go while expecting everything to line back up - except the front of the car, now pointed slightly at the side of the road less than 18 feet to your left (while traveling diagonally, objects passing by would appear to be comming towards the car to its sensors), decides to either let off the gas or hit the brakes for you. Not a good thing.
Will the good police who drive Volvos in Europe be still able to use their cars to push disabled vehicles or will 'the system' decide 3 feet is close enough?
This is a bad idea. It will contribute to dangerous driving habits. Like the 'near UV headlights' they were working on decades ago, the real world will present more new problems than have been addressed here (Near UV was supposed to cut down on glare since oncomming traffic could not see the headlights -> Yes, someone thought that was a great idea). How are the outside organic factors so easily dismissed by these engineers?
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