Volvo Cars to connect with Volvo Trucks to further reduce probabilities of accidents

Volvo Cars and Volvo Trucks will share real-time data to expand coverage of the companies’ connected safety technology, a cloud-based system that allows vehicles to communicate with each other and alert drivers of nearby hazards.

Volvo Cars is sharing safety-related data with its truck subsidiary Volvo Trucks to achieve a critical mass of connected vehicles that could have a significant impact on overall traffic safety.

From 2018, live and anonymised data will be shared between selected Volvo trucks sold in Sweden and Norway with the company’s own hazard-alert systems, and Volvo cars equipped with Volvo Cars’ ‘Hazard Light Alert’ system. 

Malin Ekholm, vice president of the Volvo Cars safety centre said, “The more the vehicles we have sharing safety data in real time, the safer our roads become. We look forward to establishing further collaborations with other partners who share our commitment to traffic safety.”

With Volvo Cars’ ‘Hazard Light Alert’ technology, any equipped Volvo switches on its hazard lights with an alert sent to all nearby Volvo cars connected to the cloud service, warning drivers to help avoid potential accidents. This is particularly useful on blind corners and over the crest of hills in the road.

Hazard light alert has been available in Sweden and Norway since 2016, where it is standard on all 90 and 60 series cars as well as the XC40. By adding selected models of Volvo Trucks’ fleet to the cloud, Volvo Cars hopes to cover more area, identify more potential hazards and boost overall traffic safety.

“Connected safety allows Volvo drivers to virtually ‘see around the corner’ and avoid a critical situation or accident before it happens,” said Malin Ekholm. “The ability to see further ahead and avoid hazards is something we want to share with as many drivers as possible.” 

By anonymizing, validating and aggregating the data that is collected and shared, Volvo Cars states that the initiative will comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that is rolled out across the EU this year.