Volvo Trucks has launched a new European heavy duty truck range that comes with innovative safety features, improved visibility and a human centric driver environment that minimizes distractions to improve safety for all road users.
“A continuously increasing need for transport around the world means that safety is more important than ever,” says Anna Wrige Berling, Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks. “Safety is in the Volvo DNA and the safety features of our new truck range reflect our commitment to increasing safety for all road users.”
Improved visibility
The new cab of the Volvo FM and Volvo FMX comes with a number of improvements in driver visibility, including larger windows, a lowered door line and new rear view mirrors. The visibility can be further improved by the addition of a passenger corner camera that gives a complementary view of the side of the truck on a 9-inch side display. The camera is also available on the Volvo FH and Volvo FH16.
On all of the vehicles the side display can be used to monitor up to eight cameras, four of them simultaneously, giving the driver an easily accessible view of both the truck and the surrounding environment.
Industry first safety feature: Adaptive high beam headlights
The new Volvo FH is the world’s first heavy duty truck with adaptive high beam headlights. The system is engineered to increase visibility and improve safety for all road users by automatically switching off selected segments of the LED high beam when the truck approaches oncoming traffic or another vehicle from behind. The high beam is adjusted when the camera and radar detects other vehicles or when the camera detects changes in the amount of light around the truck.
New and improved active safety features
The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on the new truck range now works at all speeds, even down to zero km/h. The Electronically controlled Brake System (EBS), which is a prerequisite for safety features such as Collision Warning with Emergency Brake and Electronic Stability Control, now comes as standard on all trucks within the new product range. The trucks also come with downhill cruise control that automatically activates the wheel brakes when extra brake force is needed to maintain constant downhill speed.
Volvo Dynamic Steering, with safety enhancing systems Lane Keeping Assist and Stability Assist, is also available as an option. Lane Keeping Assist helps avoid unintentional lane departure by detecting any drift towards lane markings, notifying the driver through a vibration on the steering wheel and gently intervening to steer the truck back into the center of the lane. Stability Assist helps in maintaining traction on slippery surfaces by automatically counter steering the truck to help the driver maintain control of the vehicle. The system is especially useful when driving on low-friction roads, uphill or during cornering.
Safety is further improved by the road sign recognition system that is able to detect road signs such as overtaking restrictions, road type and speed limits.
“The new range comes packed with advanced safety technologies which, when combined with the right driver behaviour, can help us get one step closer to our vision of zero accidents,” concludes Anna Wrige Berling.
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