Volvo’s Vehicle-To-Bike Technology Initiative

Volvo, the European automaker, has taken aim at cyclist safety. In an effort to prevent accidents, Volvo is working on the development of technology that would alert those riding bicycles that a Volvo is approaching. According to AutoBlog, this is all part of the Volvo Cars Vision 2020 Initiative. That initiative seeks that no one will be seriously injured or killed by a Volvo by 2020.

To help the company reach that goal, it’s partnered with POC, a maker of, among other things, high-end bicycle helmets. When the partnership was announced in early 2014, Volvo’s Senior Vice President of Design, Thomas Ingeniath, said, “The partnership with POC will be inspiring and fruitful. Both of our companies have a strong emphasis on safety and protection.”

That protection occurs when cyclists use a smartphone and connected helmet and come across a newer Volvo. In a YouTube video released on the subject, a cyclist is shown prepping his smartphone before his ride and putting on his high-end helmet. He then proceeds with this bike ride. A Volvo vehicle is shown approaching the cyclist, however, before tragedy can strike lights and vibrations alert the man on the bicycle that the Volvo is in his/her path of travel. The helmet and smart phone “talk” via 2-way communication with the Volvo and make both the cyclist and motorists aware of each other’s presence.

This desired innovation by Volvo comes at a time when vehicle-to-vehicle technology could soon become a national mandate. The NHTSA announced on August 18^th of this year they are working on a rule making proposal involving a V2V mandate. Their goal is to have a notice of proposed rulemaking delivered by 2016. A NHTSA press release on the subject indicates that 592,000 crashes and 1.083 lives could be spared with the proper vehicle-to-vehicle technology put into place. David Friedman, the Deputy Director of the NHTSA, said in a statement, “By warning drivers of imminent danger, V2V technology has the potential to dramatically improve highway safety.”

For Volvo that highway safety also means cyclist safety. What do you think of Volvo’s developments with cyclist safety technology? What could this development lead to? Do you support a V2V technology mandate?