Volvo says additions to Dynamic Steering system will help drivers avoid common accident scenarios
Two new driver support systems to be installed in new Volvo trucks will help to avoid some of the most common types of accidents to befall truck drivers, the company has announced.
Volvo Trucks traffic and product safety director Carl Johan Almqvist says the company was building on its Volvo Dynamic Steering system, with new functions to “help make the traffic environment even safer”.
The Dynamic Steering system was developed to compensate for unevenness in the road surface and eliminate vibration and kicks in the steering wheel – automatically self-centring when the driver’s grip on the wheel lightens.
Volvo’s first new innovation sees the Dynamic Steering system work with the Electronic Stability Control system to provide light steering wheel assistance when any skidding tendency is detected.
Sensors in the frame continuously monitor the truck’s rotational speed (yaw) to do this, with the steering assistance designed to help the driver steer in the opposite direction, stabilising the vehicle.
Almqvist says this mirrors what drivers already do when a truck is losing its grip on the road.
“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,” he adds.
The second upgrade, Lane Keeping Assist, uses cameras to monitor the vehicle’s position when travelling at speeds above 55km/h – activating steering when it detects that the truck risks driving outside the current lane to help them return to the intended direction.
If additional assistance is needed, the driver is alerted via a gentle vibration in the steering wheel, instead of a warning sound.
In addition to the two new driver support systems, Volvo Trucks is also introducing a function that makes it possible to adjust steering wheel resistance individually in trucks equipped with Volvo Dynamic Steering.
“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,” Almqvist says.
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