How does the Volvo Large Animal Braking Technology Work?
December 21 2022,
Volvo vehicles are known to be some of the safest on the market and this is due to many advanced driver assistance technologies that help prevent a wide range of possible accidents. One of these features is the forward collision warning system with large animal detection. Here is how this specific part of the system works.
How it works
Since collisions with deer and moose are very frequent in Scandinavia, Volvo has developed a new technology that is capable of detecting large animals and alerting the driver when a crash is imminent in order to make it possible for them to take evasive manoeuvres. This system is based on the regular forward collision warning system which uses a camera and a radar system. The camera spots the dangers and identifies them while the radar helps the vehicle determine their distance more precisely. When a risk of collision is detected, the vehicle alerts the driver via lights, sounds and even vibrations created by pulsing the brakes. If despite this the vehicle doesn’t slow down or change direction, the brakes are applied automatically to reduce the speed of the impact.
The specifics
In the case where the driver doesn’t react and the Volvo vehicle is left to take action alone, this technology will be able to reduce the vehicle’s speed by about 15 km/h in order to reduce the severity of the injuries sustained by the driver and their passengers. If the vehicle is travelling at a faster pace, the system won’t be able to avoid the collision on its own, but it will still manage to make it safer for everyone involved by slowing down before the impact.
An assist, not a replacement
As with every other driver assistance system, it is important to remember that this advanced technology was engineered to support drivers, not replace them. This is why the driver should always be focused entirely on driving and looking at the road in order to make the most out of technologies such as the large animal detection that is part of the forward collision warning system.
