Volvo promises that nobody will be killed or seriously injured in their cars starting with 2020. This does not mean that Volvo is concentrating only on its customers. After it introduced the pedestrian airbag on the Volvo V40, the Scandinavian producer takes another step to protecting others.
 
The Swedish manufacturer, together with protective gravity sports gear manufacturer POC and Ericsson will present an innovative safety technology connecting drivers and cyclists for the first time ever at the International CES in Las Vegas, this January.
 
The technology consists of a connected car and helmet prototype that will establish 2-way communication offering proximity alerts to Volvo drivers and cyclists and thereby avoid accidents. 
 
Even if it looks like a small step, it is very important as 50% of European cyclist accidents happend after a car collision.
 

Volvo Cars’ City Safety system – standard on the all-new XC90 – is a technology that can detect, warn and auto-brake to avoid collisions with cyclists. It was the industry’s first step to seriously addressing cyclist safety. This commitment has paved the way for the innovative helmet technology concept, presented at the International CES 2015.
 
Using a popular smartphone app for bicyclists, like Strava, the cyclist’s position can be shared through the Volvo cloud to the car, and vice versa. If an imminent collision is calculated, both road users will be warned – and enabled to take the necessary action to avoid a potential accident. The Volvo driver will be alerted to a cyclist nearby through a head-up display alert – even if he happens to be in a blind spot, e.g. behind a bend or another vehicle or hardly visible during night time. The cyclist will be warned via a helmet-mounted alert light.