Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced new collision avoidance alerts that can provide advance warning to Volkswagen drivers of oncoming roadside hazards and notify certain oncoming vehicles that a Volkswagen vehicle is disabled. Starting later this fall, this feature will be included with VW Car-Net Safe & Secure subscriptions at no additional charge for most MY24 and MY25 Volkswagen vehicles equipped with the proper technology.
Volkswagen is the first automaker in the United States to integrate H.E.L.P. ® (Hazard Enhanced Location Protocol) and Road Awareness collision avoidance alerts within a suite of connected vehicle services.
“Putting these collision avoidance alerts into Volkswagen vehicles advances our commitment to the safety of both our drivers and all others who are on the road,” said Rachael Zaluzec, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience and Brand Marketing at Volkswagen of America. “Volkswagen continues to democratize access to features that help both enhance vehicle safety and exceed the expectations of our vehicle owners.”
When a Volkswagen vehicle is disabled on the road, the driver can activate Vehicle H.E.L.P. mode which will send digital alerts to certain oncoming drivers notifying them that they are approaching a disabled vehicle. Vehicle H.E.L.P. can be activated manually when the driver turns on their hazard lights or automatically when airbags deploy. With Road Awareness Alerts, Volkswagen drivers can receive digital notifications when they are approaching certain disabled vehicles or in the path of an emergency vehicle. These alerts are delivered through cellular-vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology and give advanced warning to drivers allowing them more time to respond to potential danger on the road ahead.
“By working with Emergency Safety Solutions to implement H.E.L.P., Volkswagen continues to deliver on our mission to help make roads safer and lead the way in automotive safety technology,” states Frank Weith, Director of Engineering Connected Services at Volkswagen Group of America. “As the first OEM to adopt H.E.L.P.® Digital Alerts, this demonstrates the capability and flexibility of our Connectivity Platform in being able to quickly implement new technologies with innovative partners. We are committed to continuously enhancing the safety of our vehicles by leveraging existing and evolving cellular infrastructure to accelerate the implementation.”
These collision avoidance alerts are added into the Volkswagen Car-Net Safe & Secure plan, offered for most MY24 and new vehicles at no additional cost for the first five years after the vehicle’s original date of purchase. Safe & Secure allows owners to access Emergency Assistance through the SOS button in the vehicle, putting the driver in contact with the Volkswagen Response Center through a secure cellular connection for emergency assistance on the road. Volkswagen’s investment in connected vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) technology offers a more advanced and accurate experience than other driving applications on the market today. While external driving apps rely on crowd-sourced data, this new technology is using real-time vehicle-to-everything (V2X) data that is more accurate and updated.
These real-time vehicle hazard notifications are enabled through an V2X ecosystem of roadway user types communicating their status and location to VW vehicles, including Disabled Vehicles, Wrong Way Driver Approaching, Emergency Vehicle (moving), Emergency Vehicle (stationary), and Roadside Assistance Ahead. These features will be available on certain MY24 and MY25 vehicles equipped with the proper technology and an active VW Car-Net Safe & Secure subscription.
SOURCE: Volkswagen of America
