BLIS - Blind Spot Information System: warning system mounted in door mirror
Adaptive Cruise Control using radar sensors to monitor distance to other cars
Warning system and automatic braking if there is a risk of collision
IC - Door mounted Inflatable Curtain for next Volvo convertible
BLIS - Blind Spot Information System
Volvo's concept cars and their technology often transfer to production cars. Volvo's recent Safety Concept Car previewed the new BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) as one of its safety features designed to avoid accidents happening in the first place by improving the driver's visibility.
Blind spots represent a serious hazard to a driver's rear visibility, particularly when changing lanes. Volvo was first to introduce a wide-angle mirror on the driver's side, and now its BLIS takes the next step using digital camera technology2 and a monitoring system to watch for vehicles on the areas along both sides of the car.
When another vehicle enters the monitored zone, a warning lamp lights up near the door mirror to alert the driver.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Volvo's Adaptive Cruise Control uses a radar sensor in the front of the car to continuously monitor the distance to the vehicle in front and automatically adjust the car's speed to maintain a safe distance.
The driver can set a maximum speed and minimum time interval3 to the vehicle in front and, if a car pulls into the safety space it creates, the Adaptive Cruise Control automatically adjusts the car's speed to maintain a safe distance.
Warning system with brake support and automatic braking
Many rear-end impacts happen when the driver is distracted or fails to react in time. Volvo has developed an advanced new system to constantly monitor the road ahead and automatically alert the driver and apply the brakes to help avoid a collision.
The system uses a radar installation in the front of the car and automatically alerts the driver with a buzzer and warning lamp, if the distance to the vehicle or obstacle in front reduces drastically.
In addition, if the system thinks the driver is not braking hard enough to stop the car in time, the system cuts in and increases the braking pressure to maximise the car's deceleration.
What's more, if the driver does not brake at all, the system automatically activates the brakes4. Even if it is not possible to avoid an accident, the system helps reduce the speed before the collision, thereby lowering the risk of serious consequences.
Inflatable curtain for convertibles
The next generation Volvo convertible will, like the rest of the Volvo range, be able to offer an IC (Inflatable Curtain) as part of Volvo's SIPS (Side Impact Protection System).
Volvo engineers at its award-winning safety centre in Gothenburg have found a solution to fitting the IC to a convertible by fitting it inside the door itself, rather than in the roof like the rest of the Volvo range. In a side impact, the curtain inflates and pushes itself upward within a split second to position itself between the side window and the occupant's head.
The door-mounted inflatable curtain is designed to work even if the side window is down and deflate slowly during a rollover accident.
