Auto brake the next big thing

Such systems, designed to avoid a potential collision, are a major focus in safety, according to experts in the USA. The City Safety system fitted to the Volvo XC60 and promised for another four Swedish models inside the next two years has won a glowing review from the super-critical Highway Loss Data Institute after examination of crash results over the past years.

The Institute says the Volvo SUV fitted with the low-speed safety system is involved in fewer than half the number of bodily-injury crashes of its mid-sized rivals, and 27 per cent fewer property-damage crashes than its prestige SUV rivals.

The City Safety system even provides better protection over the rest of the Volvo family, as the XC60 is 19 per cent less likely than other Volvo models - which are being included in a progressive rollout of technology that includes a pedestrian-recognition package and automatic braking - to be involved in property damage crashes.

"We think this is the next big thing. We want to eliminate crashes before they happen," says Institute president, Adrian Lund. He believes other carmakers will move quickly on systems similar to City Safety as the most-common collisions in the USA - low-speed rear- enders, the same as Australia - can be minimised or eliminated by cars that react automatically to potential threats.

"It's much less prone to mistakes than a person," says Lund. "These are very large effects. The pattern of results strongly indicates that City Safety is preventing low-speed crashes and reducing insurance costs. Driver mistakes are responsible for 90 percent of crashes. This is the first technology that can reach out to the driver at the moment of danger and bring his mind back to the danger."

The new results - which show the XC60 is involved in 51 per cent few bodily-injury accidents than other SUVs in its class - have prompted strong support from the Institute, which says collision-avoidance systems can help distracted drivers who fail to notice an potential emergency.

"This is our first real-world look at an advanced crash avoidance technology, and the findings are encouraging. City Safety is helping XC60 drivers avoid the kinds of front-to-rear, low-speed crashes that frequently happen on congested roads."

The Institute compiled its results using insurance claims for the 2010- model XC60 in the USA, checking for the number of claims and the claim costs. Lund says the early XC60 figures point to the importance of City Safety-style technologies.

"As people grow more aware of the risks of distracted driving, crash avoidance systems like this one can help to ensure that a momentary lapse of attention during a congested commute doesn't result in a crash." Later this year, the Institute will also study the effectiveness of collision avoidance systems designed for high speeds.