- Volvo’s Safety Coach app scores how you brake, corner, and accelerate.
- The tool launches first across Sweden and Norway on 2020-plus models.
- A US and wider European rollout is already lined up to follow soon.
For decades, Volvo built its reputation on what happens after impact, on crumple zones and three-point belts and the assumption that a crash is coming eventually. The company is now working the other end of the problem, aiming at the moments before anything goes wrong, and it is doing it with software rather than sheet metal. A new onboard app is where that thinking lands.
This month, Volvo is introducing Safety Coach, which sits on the infotainment display and also runs inside the Volvo Cars mobile app. It pulls from real-world crash data and the automaker’s own safety research, then turns that into driving insights and tips while you are still on the road.
Your Car Is Now Grading You
Motorists who choose to use the optional app will each receive a Safety Coach score and be encouraged to improve it. Driving tips will be provided based on the driver’s behavior, in particular how they brake, accelerate, and corner. If you’re the type of driver who tries to hit the apex on every corner you take, and love nothing more than a traffic light grand prix, don’t expect a strong Safety Coach score.
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The app is launching first in Sweden and Norway and will be available for most post-2020 Volvo models, directly through the infotainment system. Compatible vehicles include the XC40, EX40, C40 Recharge, S60, V60, XC60, EX60, XC90, V90, and EX90.
Drive Safely, Get Cheaper Insurance
Local customers will be able to share their driving data with insurer Volvia to potentially get cheaper rates. Soon after arriving in Sweden and Norway, the app will be introduced into the US and other European markets.
“Our research shows that many accidents involve some form of surprise. What helps prevent that is predictability,” Volvo Cars driver behavior expert Mikael Ljung Aust said. “Staying within expected speed ranges and avoiding abrupt maneuvers makes your driving easier for others to anticipate and reduces the risk of a collision.”
