Photo: Volvo
It seems that Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) is here to stay. More and more manufacturers are and will be adopting it in the coming years, and it will slowly trickle down into even the most basic of vehicles in the future. Once ESP becomes a requirement everywhere, as ABS is now, AEB will follow.
In the UK, the system is very well seen, so much so that it actually lowers the insurance ratings for all new V40s registered on the Isles - Volvo’s new hatchback gets the system as standard. The decision was taken after extensive testing by Thatcham’s Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre. The testing concluded that the system was so effective at preventing low-speed accidents, that it more than worthy of consideration when calculating a car’s insurance rating. This is the first time this has happened so quickly after a new system’s introduction, and it goes to show just how quickly things are actually moving along.
Volvo’s Director of Governmental Affairs, Anders Eugensson said: "Safety remains very much at the heart of Volvo's design and technology ethos and we are delighted that Thatcham has selected our V40 model equipped with City Safety which is our AEB feature [. . .] It is tremendous that our efforts are now reaping additional benefits for drivers: lower insurance ratings mean reduced premiums. Unlike our rivals, whose AEB technology is either an option or featured on models higher in the range, City Safety is standard on the V40 and, indeed, across most of the range and will be standard on all new and enhanced models. Our view is that you cannot put a price on safety and such technology should be incorporated on the entry level vehicle and not just the top-of-the-range versions or as costly options.”
Volvo’s Director of Governmental Affairs, Anders Eugensson said: "Safety remains very much at the heart of Volvo's design and technology ethos and we are delighted that Thatcham has selected our V40 model equipped with City Safety which is our AEB feature [. . .] It is tremendous that our efforts are now reaping additional benefits for drivers: lower insurance ratings mean reduced premiums. Unlike our rivals, whose AEB technology is either an option or featured on models higher in the range, City Safety is standard on the V40 and, indeed, across most of the range and will be standard on all new and enhanced models. Our view is that you cannot put a price on safety and such technology should be incorporated on the entry level vehicle and not just the top-of-the-range versions or as costly options.”
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