Volvo cars in Europe will alert each other to slippery roads
They'll also warn when a driver uses their hazard lights.
Volvo's flurry of new safety features might not stop any time soon. The automaker is making its Slippery Road Alert and Hazard Light Alert features (previously limited to Sweden and Norway) available across Europe starting with the 2020 model year for new cars, and as a retrofit upgrade from 2016 and newer cars based on its CMA and SPA platforms. The road alert draws on information from Volvo cars ahead to warn you if rain or ice could pose trouble, giving you a chance to drive cautiously before you risk losing control.
The hazard light alert, meanwhile, tells other nearby Volvo cars when you've flicked its namesake alert. The automaker envisions it as useful for blind corners and hills, but it could also be useful for helping fellow motorists with breakdowns and emergencies.
There's no mention of when either alert will reach North America. It may be more a matter of time than anything, though, even if the limitation to Volvo cars makes it unlikely that you'll see either alert very often. Volvo is willing to share at least some of its learnings, however - it's publishing its safety know-how in a "central" online library for the rest of the industry to use.
