American Insurance Institute road safety(IIHS) and National Security Administration traffic(NHTSA) announced that a dozen of the world's leading automakers have committed to automatic system emergency braking (AEB) standard: Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz,Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.
Automatic emergency braking systems help significantly reduce the number of transport accidents with the car in front by reducing speed when approaching or even preventing them. Cost of installing a warning system on a car frontal collision ranges from 250 to 400 dollars.
According to the National Council for transport security, V last years almost half of all traffic accidents involving two Vehicle When one car crashes into the one in front, it takes about 1,700 lives each year and injures half a million people. If all vehicles were equipped with such systems, the IIHS estimates that nearly 1.9 million crashes could be prevented or mitigated each year.
Automatic emergency braking systems have been installed on vehicles for a long time. luxury cars, and now this additional function safety is beginning to be implemented on mass-produced vehicles as part of option offerings. The time has come for this technology to become an accepted standard.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) uses cameras and/or radar to warn the driver if the distance from the object ahead is closing too quickly.
How the system works
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) uses cameras, radar, or a laser (or a combination of both) to scan the road in front of the vehicle and alerts the driver when the distance to the vehicle in front begins to close too quickly.
The system alerts the driver with an audible, tactile and/or visual signal. More advanced systems include automatic emergency braking, capable of stopping the car quickly enough to avoid a collision if not high speed, or at least reduce speed as you approach. When driving on highways at high speeds, the system will not be able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop in time, but it will apply braking to reduce the force of the impact.
Cars are used continuously. Some systems are already in mandatory installed in new cars. The collision warning system has not yet been recognized as a mandatory element in manufactured cars, but it is quite popular.
Let's get into the essence of the system
The name already makes clear the essence of this innovation - preventing a collision with an object that is in front. It is implemented through forced braking at the moment when the system considers the situation dangerous and a collision inevitable. If adaptive cruise control is also added to the work, the car will always be at a safe distance from the next road user ahead.
Existing anti-collision system options
Many manufacturing companies automotive industry developed their own versions of this unique technology, which can prevent an accident and save lives. But the essence remains the same: the brakes are automatically applied in the car if the driver does not react to a dangerous approach to an object that is in motion or standing with the engine turned off.
Previously, another system was practiced, which was far from perfect. It involved the use of , and this could not provide high efficiency. New development is based not only on radar, but also involves the use of a camera. It is the last element that fixes the position of the nearby car. The radar has a range of 150 meters and the camera has a range of 55 meters. This means that the system monitors all objects that fall within the camera's range. Information coming from these two elements is processed and compared according to modern technology Data Fusion, which also increased the efficiency of the system.
Automakers have gone to great lengths to ensure that their designs only take action in the event of an imminent collision. This factor is very important in conditions big city, on the roads of which there is dense traffic movement. Low level false alerts are an important and rather rare benefit of collision avoidance technology.
It is convenient for the user to be able to change settings and select an operating mode, thus adapting the system to travel conditions.
Scheme of work
Since we have begun to consider one of the security systems, it is worth considering in detail the principle of its operation. It consists of several stages that are activated sequentially.
- If the driver does not react to the reduction in the distance between his car and the object in front, a red light begins to flash on the windshield. At the same time, a sound alert is activated. All this is aimed at attracting the attention of the driver, who must react to the situation properly.
- The system begins to prepare the car for future braking (the pads move closer to the discs, the hydraulic pressure increases). Due to this preparation, braking will be effective even with light pressure on the brake pedal.
- If there is no further action from the driver, the system independently begins to activate the brakes.
There are several cases to which the system will respond by reducing speed:
- dangerous reduction in distance;
- lane change ahead next car to your lane;
- vehicle leaving its lane without turning at high speed;
- sudden appearance of another road user in front of the car.
You don’t always have to hope for a complete stop of the car, but even with a slight decrease in speed, the risk of injury is reduced significantly.
Additional functions
The effectiveness of collision avoidance can be improved through the use of additional systems.
Adaptive Cruise Control ACC
The collision warning system must work in conjunction with ACC adaptive cruise control. This development ensures that a safe distance is maintained between your car and the one in front. This feature is very convenient while moving.
The radar operates continuously and measures the distance to each vehicle. The system processes this information and calculates the speed at which critical approach will be impossible. Adding convenience to the user is the ability to set their own parameters within which the adaptive cruise control will operate.
The system monitors the speed of the neighboring vehicle and quickly reacts to its decrease. Thus, the driver can not keep himself in constant tension and entrust some part of the control to the car electronics.
Distance Reduction Alert
Moving in heavy traffic is made easier thanks to a system that monitors the distance reduction and alerts the driver if dangerous situation. This feature is called Distance Alert and can serve as an alternative to adaptive cruise control. If latest system is inactive, then the road control is performed by Distance Alert.
The driver's attention is drawn to the warning signal, which is located at the bottom of the windshield - just in the line of sight.
Pedestrian detection technology
All the features described above are relevant only to cars. But a car can collide not only with its own kind, but also with pedestrians. A separate system has been developed that is aimed at detecting people near the car. When a nearby person is detected, the car forcibly reduces speed.
As a result of this technology, it is possible to reduce the impact force or avoid a collision with a pedestrian altogether. Studies have shown that the use of a pedestrian detection system reduces crash fatalities, reduces the likelihood of severe injuries and reduces the number of collisions.
The capabilities of this technological development are impressive. It works great in a big city, tracks several pedestrians at once who can move in different directions, and identifies people with umbrellas in rainy weather.
The system will help prevent a collision with a pedestrian Flaws
Specialists still have work to do. Collision avoidance technologies do not perform satisfactorily in bad weather and at night. Road markings, their quantity and quality also affect the quality of work. If the camera does not distinguish dividing lines well enough, the system's performance will be reduced. As well as during thick fog, insufficient lighting, snowfall and other unfavorable conditions.
It's stupid to rely completely on electronics. In any case, the driver is responsible for the lives of people and the safety of property. These systems should be perceived as insurance and assistance, and not shift all the driver’s work onto them.
Volvo develops not only world-leading safety systems that reduce the consequences of an accident for the driver and his passengers, but also systems that can warn the driver about a dangerous situation, and if he does not react, then intervene in the process of driving, thereby avoiding accident or minimizing its severity.
City Safety
Difficult traffic conditions in the city, traffic jams during rush hour, constant stress. This often pushes drivers into sudden, thoughtless maneuvers. Rest easy - the road is always under supervision thanks to the City Safety system. An optical radar under the windshield monitors the situation ahead and warns the driver at speeds up to 50 km/h possible collision. If circumstances require an immediate response, the system will apply the brake itself. The City Safety system is included in standard equipment models S60, S80, XC70, XC60, V40 Cross Country.
Driver Alert System
A complex of systems that at any time of the year, in any weather conditions warns you if there is a risk of a dangerous situation:
When signs of weakened attention appear;
when he is unintentionally about to leave his lane;
when he can run over a pedestrian or a car in front of him;
Driver Alert System uses information from the front camera located behind the windshield to determine the vehicle's position relative to the side road markings, as well as to detect vehicles in front of the car, pedestrians, road signs and light sources.
Driver Behavior Monitoring (DAC)
Unlit road. Intense glance at the lane. After a couple of hours, fatigue will make itself felt. The DAC (Driver Alert Control) driver monitoring system helps you stay alert. Sensors continuously analyze the driver's behavior on the road, and in the event of a sudden change, Volvo will sound an alarm and ask you to stop for a rest.
Distance Alert System
Scenic road. Nice company of friends. In such a situation, it is most likely to lose concentration and not notice how the car in front began to slow down. The Distance Alert system will notify you of a dangerous approach to another vehicle, based on the projection on Windshield orange warning lights. The system starts working already at 30 km/h.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) or (LKA)*
Long journey. Monotonous landscapes. All this lulls your vigilance, and you can unnoticed drive into oncoming traffic. Fortunately, Volvo keeps track of lane markings with its LDW (Lane Departure Warning). If you leave your lane without turning on the turn signal, a special sound signal will remind you of the importance of concentration on the road.
* LKA ( Lane Keeping Aid) - installed on the V40 Cross Country, is an expanded LDW function, in addition to warning about leaving the lane, the system returns to the occupied lane through vibration on the steering wheel.
Forward Collision Warning with Automatic Full Braking (CWFAB)**
Unforeseen situation on the road. Sharp braking of the vehicle ahead. There is always rice to not react to the current situation in time. Collision Mitigation with Full Automatic Braking uses a camera and radar to warn you of dangerous closing distances. If the driver does not respond, it automatically applies the brakes to reduce the consequences of the accident.
** - CWFAB full automatic braking will only be implemented with the option Adaptive cruise control (ACC). If ACC is not available, the system will warn with sound and light without activating the brake system.
Pedestrian Detection System
Unfamiliar street. Complex numbering of houses. When looking for the right address, it’s easy to get distracted from the road and not notice how a person runs out onto the road. Don't worry, Pedestrian Detection keeps a close eye on pedestrians. In case of danger of collision with a person, it will warn the driver sound signal and a flashing tape LED lights. If the situation requires an immediate response, the system will automatically stop your Volvo.
Traffic Sign Recognition (RSI)
Unfamiliar highway, you might accidentally miss it road sign speed limits or prohibition of overtaking. When the system (Road Sign Information) recognizes a sign, the corresponding symbol is shown on the display. Thanks to the system, the driver receives information about current restriction speed or permission or prohibition of overtaking. The recognized sign will be on the display until the camera detects another sign on the road.
Cyclist Detection with Automatic Full Brake (CDFAB)*
A cyclist driving along the road may change lanes into your lane without warning you; in heavy city traffic, the driver may simply not have time to react. The Cyclist Detection with full Auto Brake function makes the driver's job easier by monitoring the space in front of the car and automatically stopping the car if a danger of collision with a cyclist is detected.
* - CDFAB is available on S60 and XC60 models from 2014 model year in combination with the Driver Support package
Active High Beam Assist (AHB)
Driving at night on the highway with the high beam Headlights can react too late to a car moving in the opposite direction, which can lead to blinding of the driver of the oncoming car and provoke an emergency situation. The system (Active High Beam) uses a camera located behind the windshield, which, depending on the generation of the system:
- First generation: in automatic mode V dark time day turns on and off the high beam headlights to avoid dazzling drivers in approaching cars.
- Second generation (S60 and XC60): Automatically dims part of the high beam headlight beam at night when oncoming traffic is detected. Wherein high beam remains on and illuminates areas around an oncoming vehicle.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
Incorrect landing. Unadjusted mirrors. Stiff leg from DC voltage when interacting with the gas pedal. Every little thing can cause discomfort. Stop and customize everything for yourself. While driving, select the speed and minimum lag time from the vehicle in front, release the gas pedal and enjoy the road. Adaptive cruise control will accurately adhere to the set speed parameters, and if there is a car ahead, your Volvo will maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. And if you are driving in a traffic jam, the system has a Queueassist traffic jam subfunction with the ability automatic stop and start moving if the parking time does not exceed 5 seconds.
Blind Spot Monitoring System (BLIS)
Safely changing lanes - a look at Side mirror and turning on the turn signal. Even then, danger awaits you unless a BLIS system is installed. Cameras (First generation) in the side mirrors or two radars under the rear trim (Second generation)* Volvo constantly monitor the traffic flow, and no vehicle will hide in the “blind spot” - indicators in the A-pillars will warn of obstacles. The system also informs the driver about rapidly approaching road users. Lane Change Assist (LCMA)* When the driver wants to change lanes, radars continuously scan the area at a distance of approx. 70 meters behind the car and approx. 3.5 meters to the side of the car. (CTA)* - Cross Traffic Alert is a feature that informs the driver of vehicles approaching from both sides of the vehicle when the driver is leaving a parking lot. in reverse in conditions of limited visibility.
* - The second generation system includes the LCMA function, which is installed on the V40, S60 and XC60.
Cross Traffic Alert (CTA)
When backing out of a narrow parking lot, visibility can often be limited by cars parked to the sides. In such a situation, you may not notice an approaching car, cyclist or pedestrian. Cross Traffic Alert is a feature that informs the driver of vehicles approaching from either side of the car when the driver is reversing out of a parking space in low visibility conditions.
* - The second generation system (BLIS) includes the CTA function and is installed on the V40, S60 and XC60.
Take it for a test drive
You can test all these systems on a test drive in our showrooms on specially designed routes.
Price
The cost of the BLIS blind spot monitoring system is 33,900 rubles.
The cost of the DAC driver behavior monitoring function is 40,000 rubles.
The cost of adaptive cruise control ACC will be 59,900 rubles.
Special offer
GREAT OFFER FROM VOLVO – PRICES REDUCED FOR ACTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS
You can order the Driver Support package at special price- 99,900 rubles.
Your benefit when purchasing active systems security in the package will be 33,900 rubles.
The Driver Support package includes the following active safety systems:
- Blind Spot Monitoring including Lane Change Assist (LCMA) and Cross Traffic Detection (CTA);
- DAC driver behavior monitoring including RSI and active high beams;
- LDW Lane Departure Warning System;
- Adaptive cruise control ACC with collision warning system, full auto braking, pedestrian protection, and Queueassist automatic distance control function.
The Active City Stop system operates on a classic radar scheme. IN in this case The laser acts as the emitting element. The beam is focused in front of the car at a certain distance. Special sensors capture the reflected signal and convert it into an electronic code, which is processed on-board computer car. At the same time, the system collects data on the vehicle’s speed and estimates the approximate braking distances. After some calculations, a decision is made whether to enable automatic braking or not. According to Ford engineers, the complex makes it possible to 100% prevent accidents when the car is moving at a speed of 15 km/h and minimize the consequences of a collision when impacted at a speed of 30 km/h.
It would seem that there is any point in such additions, if in theory a person himself can react quickly enough, but how quickly is another matter. It is known that people spend an average of 0.1 to 0.3 seconds making a decision, but do not forget that these data are correct if the driver is not tired, intoxicated, unwell, or simply has difficulty seeing the situation ahead. Accordingly, the risk of an accident increases significantly. At the same time the system automatic braking Active City Stop scans the situation at a speed of 1/50 of a second, plus the same amount of time it takes to make a decision. In total, it turns out that machine intelligence is at least 5 times faster than human intelligence.
Operation of the Active City Stop system in real time
As noted earlier, the ACS electronic analytical complex is designed for operation in the speed range from 15 to 30 km/h. For control traffic situation above this range by Ford Another system has been developed - Forward Alert.
Active City-Stop copes with its task perfectly in the specified mode, but during operation the driver does not receive any warning signals: neither sound, nor light, nor tactile - in the form of vibration of the steering wheel. If you accelerate to a speed of 40 km/h and head towards a stationary obstacle, the system will not react even if you release the accelerator pedal. However, if you approach a car moving at the same speed at a dangerously close distance, the algorithm will first respond warning signal driver, and later applies half-force braking.
Video of how the automatic braking system (ACS) works on a car Ford Kuga and Focus:
Disadvantages of ACS at work
Since Active City-Stop relies in its work on less data than a person and does not have the same perfect processing algorithm, sometimes the complex does not work correctly. For example, a standard situation: You are heading towards a turn. A car drives ahead and begins the maneuver. The distance between you is decreasing and ACS system thinks that the risk of collision has increased excessively and gives the command to brake. In fact, there is no danger in reality. Even if you continue driving at the same speed, then most likely by the next moment the lane in front will already be clear.
Another ambiguous situation arises when a car maneuvers in front of you low speeds. There may also be false positives here. Let’s also add that for reliable operation The system requires keeping both the laser lens and the sensors installed in the front clean.
In general, it was not planned to officially equip Ford cars with the Active City Stop system for residents of Russia. Representatives referred to the fact that many of our cars drive with dirty license plates and lights, and the complex’s radar is focused on these elements. In theory, this complicated the operation of the system, but in reality it seems more logical that in major cities people are used to driving close to each other due to limited space. Therefore, the automatic braking system in such a situation would constantly slow down and prevent you from continuing to move.
Automatic braking system cost
Although manufacturers claim that you can order the installation of such an add-on for only $500, Active City-Stop is actually included in the adaptive cruise control kit, which itself is priced at $1,320. Those. in the end you will have to pay almost $2,000, specifically $1,820. Price per this device, as you can see, is not small, but what good it will do is unknown. It will be possible to order the installation of Active City-Stop only in Focus trim levels Titanium, Trend Sport (for example -), as well as Sport Limited Edition.
Imagine for a moment the situation - there was a rush at work, yesterday you returned home late, and at night you were awakened by the heart-rending screams of street cats on a spree. What awaits you in the morning? Right, headache and lack of sleep if you wake up on time. And if you don’t forget to take a painkiller pill, you may not have time to brew a cup of strong coffee. And so, you get behind the wheel of your car and slowly crawl in a traffic jam, nodding. And at some point you notice the back of a brand new Mercedes a few centimeters from the front of your car. With a frozen heart, you press on the brake pedal, hoping to still make it and not hit someone else's car. Maybe you'll succeed, maybe you won't. So let's talk about the automatic system.
Active City Stop (automatic braking system)- a development that is designed to reduce the risk of occurrence and, as practice shows, such a system allows you to shorten the distance after pressing the brake pedal by at least 15%.
How it works? Theoretical part
Technically, there is nothing too difficult about getting a car to brake. For this, the car has the necessary. The whole problem is to force your car to brake exactly at that second when it is urgently required, and the driver should not participate in this.
The ACS system itself operates according to laser radar principle (lidar), which, using pulses sent every 0.1 s, scans the space in front of the car and determines the presence of objects, their speed and distance to them. Since such devices operate at close range, they often The camera is installed on the windshield of the car, and the radar is installed on the front bumper. Since the radar cannot determine what object is ahead, but can detect it at a great distance, the camera gets involved and the system begins to decide whether it needs to start braking or whether it can ignore the detected object. At a low speed of your car (from 15 to 30 km/h), which is typical for traffic jams, similar system allows you to prevent accidents with a probability of up to 100%.
ACS - uses a camera under the windshield
It may seem that such a value is not so high; a person himself can cope with the situation. The whole question is the speed of decision-making. On average, the decision-making speed is about 0.2 seconds. But do not forget that a person may be tired, sick, or simply poorly assess the situation on the road due to poor visibility. All this increases the decision-making time and the risk of creating emergency situation increases on the road. At the same time, the speed of situation assessment of the automatic braking system is many times greater.
Practical part
So, let's say you don't take any action while driving - don't brake, don't twist steering wheel to go around the obstacle. As mentioned above, this system works perfectly at speeds less than 30 km/h and can completely reduce the likelihood of an accident to zero, although its main priority is to minimize vehicle damage and driver injuries. However, ACS does not take all responsibility for driving the car away from the driver.
It must be said that the car’s automatic braking system copes well with the functions assigned to it, but the driver does not receive any signals - neither light nor sound. Vibration is not transmitted to the steering wheel.
When you increase the speed to 40 km/h and approach a stationary object, the system will not react at all, even if you release the gas pedal. However, if you approach a car moving at the same speed as yours at a dangerous distance, then ACS will first give you a warning signal, and only then begin to brake at half strength. The whole idea of ACS is that you will begin to act independently and finally press the brake pedal, but if you remain indifferent, the system will make a decision and do everything for you.
It may seem strange, but the vast majority of people do not press the brake pedal as hard as they could during an emergency, so automatic braking system ACS will easily help the driver to press on brake pedal when you wake up just centimeters away from rear bumper the Mercedes in front. As repeated studies have shown, a third of all accidents are the result of a “meeting” of the rear and front bumpers two cars. Moreover, in half of such cases the driver does not brake at all. Therefore, it is obvious that in such cases, assistance to the driver from his car would be extremely necessary.
It is worth remembering that if the speed of your car is high enough, then no security system will save you - here all responsibility falls only on the driver and all control over the situation remains only in his hands.
Let's think about the shortcomings
Such a system has long been installed on many brands of cars, for example, Ford Focus, Subaru. Although initially on machines for Russian roads Ford, for example, did not plan to install an automatic car braking system. This is due to the fact that most of our car owners do not wash their cars too often.” iron horse", so the cleanliness of license plates and lights almost always leaves much to be desired. But the ACS radar responds precisely to these elements.
It was assumed that this would complicate the automatic braking of the car, but in reality everything is somewhat different. In large cities, cars often move in one continuous stream, the distance between them is small (remember about traffic jams!) and ACS would have to constantly brake, interfering with traffic. Still, keeping the lens and sensors clean is essential.
Also, the ambiguity of the moment may arise when the driver of the car ahead decides to turn at an intersection. The distance between you begins to decrease and the automatic braking system of your car begins to work, thinking that there is a an emergency situation, which in fact does not exist. Or the front neighbor on the road begins to maneuver at low speed - here, too, a false alarm from the system is possible.
Issue price
According to the manufacturers, the cost of such an installation fluctuates around 500 USD. e. for BMW. They offer much more expensive similar installation Volvo and Lexus. However, ACS is included in another control kit, which costs one and a half times more. Ultimately, the price of a car's automatic braking system will double to just under $2,000. Considering economic situation in the country, this amount does not seem small.
What can we say in conclusion? That there is no mechanical system is also imperfect in planning its further actions relies on a much smaller number of parameters than a person, so sometimes such a system does not work perfectly. However, it is an auxiliary function and should not be relied upon completely. And the price - well, everything gets cheaper over time.
