Volvo cars to take over control from human drivers

[ergonomist]

Originally Posted by Haldex

Exactly!

I would feel way more comfortable using the PA2 if I knew that the car could take control over speed/brakes/steering in an event where no driver input was detected- as oppose to simply flashing a message on the driver display and turning the PA2 off- leaving my (and my family’s..) lives in the hands of God and inertia..

Agree. Systems ought to be designed to accommodate predictable human failures. Hands up all those who have NEVER had some sort of near miss due to a momentary lapse of attention...? Volvo are trying to address this. Provided the manner in which the automation operates is apparent, I'm content.

The one area where I don't feel it's currently quite right is the city safe system that applies the brakes if it thinks you're heading for an obstacle (even though you're aware of it and you plan to steer round it) - the sudden application of the brakes is a potential hazard.

[Haldex]

Very true. I even noticed it occasionally reacting to cars parked on the side of the road (quite common on narrow village roads in rural France..) Thankfully, never (yet..) applied full brakes for me- but collision warning popped up every time and in a handful of cases the power was cut off with mild-force brake correction.. It was always on dry roads, luckily, but I have given it some thought.. In spite this- I trust the collision avoidance more than I do the PA2.. CA is always on, whereas I use PA2 only when I’m fully rested, had a good dose of caffeine and trust there’s a slim chance of me failing to notice PA2 going off.. which is when I need it least..