Volvo Trucks are a global truck manufacturer based in Sweden, and lately, they have been using their expertise in electrified transport vehicles to develop awesome new technologies that not only blow minds but can potentially improve safety on the road for everyone. For instance, they introduced the first all-electric truck in April 2018, and it gained a lot of attention.

Volvo Trucks goals are to create better traffic safety and enhanced working environment for drivers, and their most recent technology has been designed to reach those goals and to save lives; two accident prevention systems have been developed to support drivers and keep them confident and comfortable during their journeys in HGVs. Furthermore, using their new Stability Assist and Lane Keeping Assist systems, Volvo Trucks HGV’s will reduce the risk of accidents dramatically. They have also introduced a new function that will allow drivers to adjust to wheel resistance.

These intelligent new devices are based on Volvo Dynamic Steering – an award-winning innovation that was developed for the purpose to eliminate vibration and steering difficulty on uneven road surfaces. Furthermore, if you were driving an HGV at a low speed, as soon as the driver’s grip tightens on the steering wheel, the Dynamic Steering system will automatically self-centre. This is because when you are going slow, the steering wheel’s resistance decreases by around 75%. On the other hand, if you were driving at a high speed, the vehicle will maintain it’s direction confidently even in difficult situations, such as rough surfaces or weather etc. The Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks, also known as Carl Johan Almqvist, said; “Volvo Dynamic Steering has truly revolutionised the driver’s job behind the wheel. Better directional stability, easier manoeuvring and higher comfort have reduced the risk of road accidents and strain-related injuries. Now we are building further on our success with new functions that help make the traffic environment even safer.”

Volvo Dynamic Steering with Stability Assist

Stability Assist is a clever new support system because it stabilises and prepares the vehicle before you, as the driver, have even noticed a situation that is occurring; “Imagine you’re driving on a wet, slippery road and you suddenly notice that the rear of the truck is starting to lose its grip on the asphalt. Before this develops into a skid, you steer gently in the opposite direction until the danger is over. That’s exactly the way Volvo Dynamic Steering with Stability Assist works. The big difference is that the system can discover the risk and help stabilise the vehicle before you’ve even noticed that something is about to happen,” explains Carl. This meaning that this new kind of technology not only prevents accidents but also detects hazards more or less immediately, so the driver can be more comfortable when driving a large transport vehicle.

Volvo Dynamic Steering with Lane Keeping Assist

The purpose of Lane Keeping Assist is to reduce the risk of unintentional lane departure. This system will do this by detecting when the HGV begins edging towards the lane marking. The system will then guide the vehicle back into the centre of their lane and will notify the driver, using a vibration on the steering wheel, if it needs more assistance. Overall, Lane Keeping Assist will help prevent accidents by keeping large heavy Volvo trucks in a correct, safe position.

Wheel Resistance

As well as these new systems, Volvo Trucks have also introduced a new function, also based on Volvo Dynamic Steering, that makes steering wheel adjustments possible and easier for drivers struggling with resistance; “Each driver has a different perception of how light or heavy the steering system should be. Now every driver can adjust the steering wheel resistance exactly as he or she wants for comfortable, relaxed and safe driving.” explains Carl. Therefore, this new feature is an additional personal setting that will hopefully achieve convenient driving for individuals.

Thank you for reading. I hope you found this article informative.