Yahoo Autos Watch a Fully-Loaded Volvo Semi's Emergency Braking System Work Just in Time
Volvo Trucks may not be a part of the same corporate family as Volvo cars any more, but the two still share a long-term focus on safety as a marketable feature. Both companies currently offer a collision warning system with automated emergency braking in an attempt to avoid crashes before they happen. In cars, the system has been a crucial part of the Geely-owned company's safety suite for a decade. For the independent truck company, a similar system makes for some dramatic visuals.
This video from 2013 recently resurfaced after the company shared an abridged version on social media earlier this month. It shows two tests, one with a simulated stationary car and one with a real, rolling car that stops suddenly on an open road. In both cases, the collision warning system activates in time to bring a fully-loaded, 40-ton truck to a full stop mere feet from the rear bumper of the stopped car. The truck works exactly as it is supposed to, slowing as quickly as it can on its own to completely avoid a catastrophe, but the struggle of the maneuver is visible as the cab desperately bends forward.
But the view inside the cabin shows just how close the system can get to disaster and still avoid it. First, a warning light glows as the car ahead slows. Then, it flashes as it recognizes the stop, starting a siren to immediately alert the driver. Finally, the system takes over entirely, bringing the truck to a perfect stop close enough to the Volvo wagon ahead that the driver's eye camera cannot see the car's taillights below the dashboard of the truck. At that point, incredibly, the car pulls away without any damage anyway.
Via the Drive.
You Might Also Like
