Autoblog tries out Volvo City Safety on boss's BMW

[ac03tls]

Holy eyebrows batman

[HearGear]

As u could see at the very last seconds of this video the breaklight come on...

[spiff1003]

@HearGear Of course it came on. Every time a car brake, the light comes on. That is usually the law, so it has to regardless of who's braking.

[FunnehVideo]

I can assure that even if that function doesn't help you to break, you will definitely break by yourself...

[jaffacake1578]

there is no proof that this worked, unless you put another camera, inside the car showing your foot went nowhere near the brake pedal...

[thatguy123444]

Man i wish it hit the car

[besteli1]

he puts his dayjob on the line by not trimming his eyebrows

[Controller12]

....and that's how you brake

[homer4179]

stylish? quick? safe? not even close

[MrPekisha]

Look at that mighty volvo and that old rubbish from BMW

[wmowson]

Sweet! Volvo is the best car for safety! awesome!

BUZZZZZ!!! Wrong! This system is real, and really takes control of your brakes to stop the car in case you don't. I.E. in case you're not paying attention. This stops 5MPH impacts and greatly reduces damage to $2000 painted plastic bumper covers. This is for dipshits like you who can't keep from sending text messages while you're in traffic in the operator's seat of a 5000 pound piece of HEAVY FUCKING MACHINERY. But it won't save all of you.

[Azureecosse]

@wmowson All premium brands are pretty much the same in the safety stakes the Honda accord euro was using this system 9 years ago. I would love to see this test on sheet ice i bet the result would be far more dramatic bearing in mind that ABS does not work below 5mph

[SkwerlStyle]

i dont buy it. Do another one where you get out of the car

[PJCelis]

I would still fire you for hitting my car like you did at 0:42 ;)

[Madrigale1973]

VOLVO ... the best car for Safety !!! VOLVO is BETTER !!!

[CHARLIETWW]

@Madrigale1973 Volvo is now Chinese made sxit! My family owned three Volvos, but now we'll never buy any Volvo again. We now buy Lexus, Acura, Mercedes, or BMW.

[jaffacake1578]

next time, show another camera in the footwell to prove that it wasn't you...

[cubanomx2]

I don't constantly need the drivers aids, they are just there to help the driver, and yes, helps. I have several years driving all kind of cars and never had an accident at all. Perhaps when you drive in the streets of mexico you understand about poor street conditions. I drive from regular cars, to luxury and even super sport cars, I take training courses, I share expertise with professionals, no one share your way of think.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 First you admit to always feeling the aids go off, and now you're saying you don't need them....You're pretty damn confused man.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull .. I don't admit always the aids go off. I never say I don't need them. I'm very happy my car have lot of security aids.

[cubanomx2]

I see my ABS in function in my Volvo car when I break and we are in slippery or uneven pavement. I feel it in the pedal. The same with our Mitsubishi Lancer or Mazda SUV. when it's raining I even feel the EBD, EBA and DSTC (in curves) and I'm happy I have all this assistance for better security.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 No offense, but if you constantly need the driver's aids, you have no business driving in the first place. You should never feel any of those systems. You are a classic example of the very problem I have with driver's aids.

If you were put in a car without driver's aids you'd end up in a ditch. No question about it.

[TestECull]

Wow. This is the first video in 15 clicks where this has actually worked.

I still don't want it though. I deserve an airbag to the face if I'm too busy with something else to drive when I'm driving.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull . This is not true. I see lot of videos supporting this tech works. Is now a general public tech so in the near future will be very common. Some people try and do not work because this tech is designed to work ONLY at low speed.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 Kindly take note about how there were way less dumbass drivers back when drum brakes were available on the front, and power assist was an option only high end cars had. We keep babying people, they stop putting any effort into driving safely, they cause way bigger crashes than ever before. Sadly, these dumbasses survive these crashes and go on to do it all over again.

I vote we go back to manual drum brakes. Let's cleanse the gene pool.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull . This technology is not to fight vs dumb ass drivers, is just to provide a solution to the 80% of accidents caused by distractions at low speed in cities.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 Distractions are a symptom of bad driving. A good driver tunes out such distractions. They put the fucking phone down, they get their kids to shut the fuck up(Ignoring them if they don't), and they watch for people and other idiots in cars.

I haven't even had so much as a close call. I haven't hit a damn thing in the city/a heavy traffic situation. It's pretty easy to pay attention, if I can do it you can. This system is 100% needless, it won't do anything to make the driver better.

[cubanomx2]

Safety systems are designed to help the driver avoid or prevent accidents, they are NOT substitutes for good driver awareness, nor should they be relied upon to prevent accidents. Drivers are distracted for one reason or another (search good radio station, use cell, etc) and they sometimes need a reminder to refocus their attention back on the road. 75% of accidents occur at low speed. a low speed accident isn’t life threatening, but you can save time with insurance and service to the car.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 You are right about their design. However, people rely on them. That's why these systems just don't work. People don't pay attention anymore. Why should they? The car will stop itself if it needs to.

Then they get into another car that lacks the feature and mow down a family of four.

These systems have no business on the road because people are just going to rely on them and become worse drivers than they were before they came out.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull . People don't really needs to rely on this security technologies. They will keep driving as ussual. A good driver will keep his eyes in the road, a bad driver will have more distractions. This design is to help both kind of drivers. Another feature is the pedestrian detection (see my videos), believe me, all security features perhaps now you see as non-sense, will be standard in the future (the same happens with airbags and seabelt 50 years ago).

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 People don't need to smash in storefronts over a sports loss, either, but they do that. Human nature is going to cause people to rely on things they should not rely on. I guarantee you people are going to take it for granted and forget that their car doesn't have this system when they're forced to drive a vehicle lacking it. And then they'll mow down a family of four.

And then I'll just say "I told you so".

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 I also love how you're trying to liken it to seatbelts. People need seatbelts to survive even a freak accident. Seatbelts will protect people who are driving correctly. This system will never even activate for a safe driver. The only people that will benefit from something like this are the people that have no fucking business on the road in the first place. We don't need to be giving them even more of a reason to not pay attention, we need to be putting spikes in the steering wheel.

[LondonDreads]

@TestECull The beauty of these safety technologies is that they can do what humans can't. ABS for example can pump brakes faster than a human can, ESC can keep a car on track by braking individual wheels and rerouting torque, and almost all of these safety systems can respond faster than the human brain. And even if you are a safe driver, these systems are nonetheless beneficial because they incorporate themselves into imminent accident preparation processes, such as pressurizing brakes

[TestECull]

@LondonDreads You COMPLETELY missed my point. These systems make people worse drivers because people rely on those systems instead of actually knowing wtf to do.

I've driven vehicles with ABS before. The only time I've ever tripped the ABS is when I intentionally wanted to see if it worked. If I can do it right, anybody can.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull ... actually perhaps your ABS system is working a lot. Perhaps you are a normal driver, when you hit the brake pedal and the paviment have oil, water, etc, the ABS ALWAYS help you. Perhaps you don't notice it.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 I'd notice it if it tripped. The only vehicle I drive that has ABS is a '96 Chrysler shitvan, and when it trips, you can clearly feel it in the pedal. Shit, you can hear the fucker cycling.

The ABS never trips, even on snow, when I drive it. I learned how to brake properly on a vehicle that didn't have ABS, so I don't need it when I'm in one that does.

[LondonDreads]

@TestECull (pt 2 cont'd) and activating airbags and seatbelt pretensioners earlier. Let's look at this hypothetically. Some accidents are unavoidable, i.e. someone pulling out in front of you when you least expect it. Though the accident is not at all your fault, it is unavoidable. These systems respond even in those situations, and have the ability to communicate with other systems in the vehicle to help you before and during the accident.

[TestECull]

@LondonDreads Airbags + seatbelts = you're fine in a freak accident. You don't need five million driver's aids for such a situation.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull .. airbags, abs, seabelts, sps, traction control, rolling avoidance, electronic brake assistance, electronic brake distribution, pedestrian detection, city safety: all of them are for help the driver in security circunstances. Some of them are more critical than other, but all of them will be standard in the future (like today most cars have seatbelts.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 Let's pick these systems apart one by one, shall we?

Airbags: They're useful since seatbelts have a fair bit of give in 'em and steering wheels/dashboards tend to hurt when you headbutt them.

ABS: It's useful for drivers who don't know how to drive. I've never needed it and I'm by no means a driving god. I just have common sense enough to not lock up in the first place.

SPS: Dunno, dun care.

Traction control: What the fuck? Why do we need this? What's wrong with burnouts?

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull

ABS: remember: is in use all the time. When the ABS works hard, you feel it in the pedal. ABS can short your brake distance (i.e: water on paviment) and allow you to keep your steering direction. When braking, if your front wheels lock-up, steering control is lost and your car will continue in the same path as before you attempted to brake. ABS is very important.

Traction control: you can turn off the feature if you want to burn out. traction control

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 It's funny, because I've never had any trouble controlling my old Ford truck on snow and ice. I never have any problem with locking the brakes, and I never have any problem with spinning out or understeering. Might I remind you that snow and ice is much slicker than wet roads.

It could be because I don't drive like a shithead.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull ... yes, I see you are the best driver on earth, you can drive on snow like no one and your tires have a grip like in the desert temp with the best highway ever. you never see the brakes locked but every single manufacturer put abs in the cars just because all other people than you can require assistance (and this do not mean they are bad drivers). perhaps you drive at 10 mph all the time and then you don't need even airbags!

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 You conveniently missed where I said I wasn't a Stig by any means. I'm just an average guy that doesn't need the car to do his job for him.

If I was the best driver in the world, do you honestly think I would be bitching about driver's aids on Youtube? Hell no. I'd be in WRC. I'd be in F1. Hell I might actually be Top Gear's Stig. But no, I'm just an average guy with, apparently, above-average common sense.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull -Traction control works togheter with ABS to provide Stability control. While ABS and Traction Control help manage the grip of the tires for braking and accelerating, Stability Control helps prevent a car from sliding sideways. Audi: (ESP), BMW: (DSC), DaimlerChrysler (Mercedes Benz): (ESP), Ford Motor Company: Advance Trac, GM: Active Handling System (Corvette), PCS (Oldsmobile), Stabilitrak (Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac), Jaguar(DSM), Lexus(VSC), Porsche (PSM), VW(ESP), Volvo(DTSC)

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 I don't really care what it's called. I want it the fuck off my car. That's why I still drive a 1985, I don't have an electronic committee between my input and the vehicle reaction.

Vehicle control is the responsibility of the driver, not of the car, and I'm a firm believer in that. If I can manage to not hit anything without any driver's aids whatsoever then there's no reason anyone else can't. I'm by no means a Stig. I'm just an average guy that obeys the laws of physics...

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull ... this is just an example about all manufacturers how put abs and traction control in the vehicules. this must have some sense no?

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 IT makes business sense. If people want stupid things like this on their car, automakers have no choice but to offer it. If they don't, they fold.

[fyal69]

@TestECull ur ignorant and stupid, this was made so when u go into the city and you get distracted, or the guy in front of you lets the car go off accidentaly, your car avoids you to have to pay the shit out of the front guy's car and your own damage cuz he breaks in time. Dont say that you are always fucking paying attention when u drive in an extremely boring traffic city where the cars do the same movements for hours and hours... accelerate, break, accelerate, break...

[TestECull]

@fyal69 I don't really give a shit. These aids just promote shitty driving, and when they fail(Not if, when, they will fail) or if the driver gets in a car without them they fuck everyone's shit up.

I drive a stone age old pickup. I don't have rear discs, I don't have airbags, I don't have any electrical aids, for fuck's sake I don't even have power brakes. Yet amazingly enough I haven't hit anything with it. Why? I PAY FUCKING ATTENTION TO WHAT I'M DOING WITH SIX THOUSAND POUNDS OF STEEL!

[fyal69]

@TestECull U may have that opinion cuz u have a shitty car, so ur mad with good cars, u just jelly (jealous).

If not u shouldnt be in this year, u should have lived in the past where u would enjoy yourself driving a fckin horse cart (its amazing, completely technology free!!!111). Im just saying that u might die in that pickup someday, no airbags? no rear and power brakes? AND WORST u might kill someone cuz of ur shitty car that can barely break compared to today's cars.

[TestECull]

@fyal69 So now you're attacking my old truck because you can't find a valid way to defend a system that doesn't need to exist?

I can see I've won, and handily.

By the way it still has rear brakes. Look up drum brakes. I can still lock the tires, too, so it's not like I have bad brakes or anything. My point is I don't need any of that fancy new shit because I pay attention to what the fuck I'm doing. I'm able to drive safely with an unsafe vehicle. If you can't you don't belong on the road.

[fyal69]

@TestECull If u think driving ur truck shows people that ur a pro driver ur wrong, most guys with this type of car drive better than u. Failing is human, ur human, you might fail some day while driving, and in your car, accidents have worst impact. Volvos are one of the safest cars out there, its for your own good. I have family, if i was in your truck and some guy would crash onto me (not my fault), certainly we wouldnt be ok. You may think u will never have an accident, believe, ur wrong.

[TestECull]

@fyal69 I'm not even going to try to decipher this poorly typed mess. Come back when you remember the word "you" has more than one letter, and when you can consistently use the word "Your" correctly, and you can use a period properly.

[fyal69]

@TestECull I typed that way so the whole statement would fit in the commentary's letters limit. I thought that you would be intelligent enough to understand U means YOU, i deciphered at the first time i saw, and since that term is so commonly used on the internet and text messages, you were just pretending to be retarded or you are really retarded or you are running away from our discussion. I EVEN learned that at an English class years ago when i barely knew how to spoke English.

[TestECull]

@fyal69 Trying to get your message to fit into a character limit is no excuse for piss-poor typing my cat can best. As for the topic in hand...why do you think I would want to run away from it? I can continually demonstrate how these aids can be nullified, how they're not required at all. The only examples you can give me are of drivers who have no business driving in the first place.

[fyal69]

@TestECull Actually, it was to fit the message, if you insert my text on the box you will see that there are 2 characters left (remained from the text compression), if i used the complete words, it would be too much.

And if you want to keep your opinions that's fine, opinions are discussed, not imposed. Its just known that if you drive this car, your more protected than in your truck, and this wont make you be less skilled driving, just prevents something unexpected.

[TestECull]

@fyal69 It's still no excuse for shit typing and you still fail to grasp my point. 

[fyal69]

@TestECull It is because its true, and i've got your point long ago. You've probably only made elementary school and you do nothing besides driving a van around. Obviously, if you dont drive in a city and dont have kids this driving aid may not help much. But if you have serious business, kids and retarded, stressed and frustated people driving along with you this is actually helpful.

[TestECull]

@fyal69 No, it isn't. I manage perfectly acceptable spelling, grammar and punctuation within the 500 character limit. If I can, mind you if it wasn't for my skills at fixing shitty dells I would have failed English in HS every time I took it, you can too, you lazy fuck. Also, you still fail to see my point. If you did truly get my point you wouldn't be trying to convince me that loading up cars with fucktons of electronics they don't need is a good thing.

[fyal69]

@TestECull Whatever, there is no one so blind that the one who doesn't wanna see. I'm lazy to do useless things, such as rewriting a message to you, there was too much letters so i cut off the "you" to "u", problem solved. Now, you can remove those electronics, you wont pay for them, problem? Technology exists, so we make use of it, in every possible product around to make it better than before. I'm not convincing you that its a good thing for you... but for some people it is.

[Youstupidheffer]

@TestECull its sad when people have to prove how "smart" they are on the internet *plays sad song on worlds smallest violin*

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 Rolling avoidance: My personal vehicle is a 1985 F150. I have never in five years of driving that thing been in a situation where it even thought of rolling over, let alone one where rolling avoidance systems would have been useful. Reason is I don't drive it like a fucking sports car.

electronic brake assistance: I don't need it. I don't even have vacuum assist. All manual brakes. I can still lock the tires when I want to.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 electronic brake distribution: Could be a useful retrofit, but I think I'd rather go with a mechanical system for reliability's sake. Only really useful on pickup trucks that get used as a pickup truck, though, it has no use on a common family car.

Pedestrian detection: I HAVE EYES FOR THIS! I DON'T NEED HELP!

City safety: That's my job and responsibility as the driver. My car should not be responsible for keeping people safe, my driving should.

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 We do not need 95% of those systems on the average car. It is the driver's responsibility to maintain control of their vehicle, not the vehicle's. Fit them with seatbelts, airbags and sturdy frames for the freak accidents, but beyond that, let the driver do their fucking job!

[LondonDreads]

@TestECull You're right, I guess the federal government is wrong in its requirement of programs like stability control in all cars.. and requesting cars have backup cameras, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control systems.. and redoing its governmental testing of cars to include consideration of said systems. And even though I just mentioned that millimeter wave radar assists in driver PROTECTION and SUSTAINABILITY in a crash, seatbelts and airbags are still the only thing that matter

[TestECull]

@LondonDreads ....Dude. You completely missed my point. Again.

My point is those systems make the drivers themselves worse. We're no safer than we were twenty years ago, back when cars would kill you if you fucked up. The reason is drivers today are WAY more careless than they were back then. They expect the car to save them. So they push way too hard, and when the laws of physics assert their authority, you have calls for ShamWows going out over police radios.

[cubanomx2]

@TestECull . Men, you are totally wrong!.. ABS, Traction control, Dinamic Stability, Snow assistance, , Electronic Brake Assistance, City Safety, Pedestrian detection, Electronic Brake distribution, Airbags, seabelts and any other security technology are ONLY to help the driver, not to rely on!I have ABS but I know, when is raining, I must extreme precautions!. I don't argue there is some people who stop putting effort in driving when they drive a high tech car... but this is not always the case

[TestECull]

@cubanomx2 They were put there to augment, but if you honestly believe people don't rely on them then you're too damn naive to be driving. These additions are never used as they are intended. Why should people drive correctly when the car will do it for them? They aren't responsible for driving their car properly. They don't have to. And then they kill someone.

Driver's aids are the worst thing that's ever hit automobiles. I want them gone.

[james27791]

smash that bmw

[notthehulk442]

Smack that BMW!!

[HyperbirdF6]

wtf

thats no way to test it

it was only doing like 4 mph

[johnnytapia1981]

volvo=granny mobile

[TheDollarDeals]

volvo=drive it into a brick wall and not a dent on the car.

[zashima]

give this guy a raise

[madeupname37]

Now do it again pointing the BMW at the side of the Volvo.

[bajabusta]

hey I have never seen dan before!

[bajabusta]

It's good to put a face to the voice on the weekly hourly podcasts, which every car enthusiast should listen to btw!!

[JPishere88]

totally agree!

[ReSanSax]

dude, first make friends with some tweezers before you get on camera

[xpopxeyex]

nice unibrow

[italy430]

thats cool but it would be a lot better if they did it more professionally to actually prove a little bit better that city safety did it's job. this could easily have been done with all hte camera angle changes and been faked. the more you prove that it's real the more impressive it is.

so this video isn't really that impressive at all. not dinging the city safety though.

[NoxNoctisUmbra]

haha nice feature.

Who was the first to come up with it? Mercedes?

[typhoon5000]

How about video of the pedals to proove to the viewers it works?

I know it works because I tried a prototype verions of this sytem on a another Volvo before, but some of your viewers might not think so without soldi proof. It sure is scary though when someone tells you to drive right at a car and not touch the pedals!

[TheVtieg6]

Im impressed!

[Ardinx]

Now also a driver is a passenger!!

[GhostofRazors]

Exciting