Volvo Buses
South Africa
Volvo offers an array of intelligent features that help the driver to drive more safely and avoid incidents and protecting from injuries and damage. Smart sensors and advanced software detect events that could lead to dangerous situations, and warn the driver.
Safety is a cornerstone already in the initial phases of our product development. Drivability, road handling and predictable behaviour build the foundation for Volvo’s holistic safety architecture, aiming at our vision of zero accidents.
With our active safety systems, all information to the driver is integrated in the instrument cluster, right in front of the driver. The absence of multiple external display units reduces distractions and helps the driver to stay focused.
Safely functioning driver assistance systems are building blocks of future autonomous vehicles. Although we will have to wait for automated, self-driving buses, Volvo is looking ahead, making sure that every step on the way is validated, safe and secure.
The driver’s eyes are the best sensors we have. But because the human field of vision is limited, we add sensors for visibility all around the vehicle. Radars and different types of cameras in sensor fusion configurations provide vital information about the traffic situation.
Radar has obvious advantages, such as unaffected vision in fog, rain and darkness. We use radar to determine distances and to detect the presence and movements of objects, often in combination with cameras.
High-speed image processing and cameras are extremely useful for recognition of expected objects such as vehicles, people, road signs and road markings. Combined with radar information, the system adds accuracy and reliability.
Long shifts can be exhausting, and a fit and alert driver is fundamental for safe driving. In a Volvo, the driver will be alerted when the trajectory of the vehicle shows that the driver is tired or losing concentration.
Volvo has the industry’s strongest reputation for safety innovations. We introduced the ABS braking system, power steering and compressed air brakes. And the work continues. We constantly improve, moving towards zero accidents.
With radar and cameras, the bus detects vehicles ahead, their properties, and changes in distance. If a collision is imminent, the driver gets both a visual and an audible warning. If the driver does not respond, the system automatically activates the brakes lightly in a pre-brake procedure, and then with full braking power. In excess of the legal demand, the braking procedure will be activated not only by detection of vehicles, but of cyclists and pedestrians as well.
A forward-facing radar detects vehicles within a certain distance in front of the vehicle. By deploying accelerator and brakes, the system maintains a preset and speed-dependant distance to vehicles ahead. When no vehicle is detected, the system reverts to the preset speed.
This system detects moving people and vehicles along the sides of the bus. Covering 30 meters rearwards and 7 meters in front of the bus, it serves as a blind spot information system (BSIS), warning the driver of, for instance, cyclists and e-scooters on both sides of the bus. It also functions as a lane changing support (LCS), warning the driver of approaching vehicles in adjacent lanes.
The system is mainly active at low speed when starting from a standstill. It uses radar, cameras and image processing to detect moving and stationary people and objects in front of the bus. It covers an area of approximately 4 x 4 meters in the immediate proximity of the bus. If an object is detected, the driver receives an audible and visual warning.
During lane changes, fast-approaching vehicles can easily cause a hazardous situation. Keeping an extra pair of eyes on the blind spots, on both sides of the vehicle, helps the driver to safely adjust to the traffic situation.
Cameras and image processing keep track of the lane markings. If the bus drifts towards the lane marking, the driver receives both a haptic (short seat cushion vibration) and a visual alert.
The system detects patterns in steering wheel movements, and if there is a tendency to meander within the lane. If there are indications of insufficient driver focus, a warning is given by an illuminated symbol on the dashboard display.
Tires make up a substantial expense for fleets, and pressure monitoring can help reduce these costs. The system alerts the driver via the instrument cluster if a tire’s air pressure drops below safe levels. The system will not only cut tire maintenance costs, it will also improve drivability and your fleet's energy efficiency.
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Volvo has one of the most comprehensive service networks in the industry, with more then 1,500 dealers and service centres worldwide.