Watching a Volvo Semi’s Emergency Brake Test of 40 Tons is Unsettling

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By Car Brand Experts

Volvo has extensively promoted the ambitious target of achieving zero collisions involving its vehicles. It goes beyond previous endeavors to enhance the safety of its cars and trucks in accidents to now striving to prevent them entirely. The Collision Warning system with Emergency Brake, a component of this objective, can be witnessed in action on a semi-truck providing an incredibly intense experience.

The corporation recently released a video featuring a fully loaded truck and trailer, weighing a total of 40 tons. The vehicle underwent trials of Volvo’s collision warning system until triggering the emergency braking reaction, and it exceeded expectations. Comparable systems are being introduced throughout the industry, including motorcycles, with the aim of averting rear-end collisions before they occur.

When the truck rapidly approaches a stationary car, it appears to maintain its speed until the very last moment. Nevertheless, aided by ABS and Volvo’s swift electronic response, the truck’s front plunges down and the tires scarcely make a sound as the truck miraculously halts within a foot of the front vehicle.

The perspective from inside the cabin is even more remarkable. The heads-up display flashes urgently, and a siren blares with such vehemence that one might almost expect an impending missile strike. Despite no noticeable reaction from the driver, the brakes are deployed at maximum capacity, bringing the truck to a halt in an incredibly implausible distance. The cabin jerks forward abruptly, and one can almost sense the rising bile in the throat as the car seemingly vanishes beneath the windshield. Nevertheless, all is well as the truck halts once more just in time. 

Remarkably, the collision warning system can handle both stationary cars and slow-moving traffic ahead. Previous videos released by Volvo in 2019 portray trucks stopping from apparently lower speeds, with a larger distance to the car in front.

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The earlier footage lacks the same visceral, grit-your-teeth-and-hold-on feeling where a collision seems imminent. The most recent video indicates that Volvo’s collision warning and braking system has undergone significant enhancements over the years. 

It is often said that prevention is better than cure, a sentiment that resounds true especially in the context of car accidents. Volvo’s safety mechanism is evidently adept at steering drivers clear of perilous situations, as vividly illustrated in its tension-filled video. 

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