Volvo Develops 'Intelligent' Prototypes to Cut Queue Accidents

According to the European Truck Accident Causation Study published in 2007, some 47% of all truck accidents occur either in queuing traffic, with vehicles traveling in the same direction, or at high-stress situations such as road junctions and road works. To help reduce the accident rates in these situations, the European Union Project, Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport (HAVEIt), is developing technologies to help produce a new generation of “intelligent vehicles” equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems. This will enable vehicle speed to be automatically adjusted to traffic flow, and provide automated queue support, a temporary “autopilot” function, and active eco-driving.
Volvo Technology is one of 20 companies taking part in the HAVEIt project. Currently, the aim is to demonstrate the technologies in a total of seven vehicles, including three heavy commercial vehicles from Volvo, in 2011. To that end, the company is currently developing two vehicles: one focused more on safety systems, the other on systems that can demonstrate an environmental benefit.
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