Volvo Announces Four New Safety Systems At 2004 Detroit Show

• BLIS - Blind Spot Information System: warning system mounted in door mirror
• Adaptive Cruise Control using radar sensors to monitor distance to other cars
• Warning system and automatic braking if there is a risk of collision
• IC - Door mounted Inflatable Curtain for next Volvo convertible

Volvo releases details at the Detroit Auto Show of no less than four new, advanced safety systems – three of which are designed to help prevent accidents by avoiding blind spots, alerting the driver if too close to other cars, and automatically keeping the driver a safe distance from other cars, while the fourth is a clever door-mounted inflatable curtain for Volvo's next convertible.

Volvo's concept cars and their technology often transfer to production cars. Volvo's recent Safety Concept Car previewed the new BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) as one of its safety features designed to avoid accidents happening in the first place by improving the driver's visibility. Blind spots represent a serious hazard to a driver's rear visibility, particularly when changing lanes. Volvo was first to introduce a wide-angle mirror on the driver's side, and now its BLIS takes the next step using digital camera technology and a monitoring system to watch for vehicles on the areas along both sides of the car. When another vehicle enters the monitored zone, a warning lamp lights up near the door mirror to alert the driver.

Volvo's Adaptive Cruise Control uses a radar sensor in the front of the car to continuously monitor the distance to the vehicle in front and automatically adjust the car's speed to maintain a safe distance.

The driver can set a maximum speed and minimum time interval to the vehicle in front and, if a car pulls into the safety space it creates, the Adaptive Cruise Control automatically adjusts the car's speed to maintain a safe distance.