Volvo has made a shocking pledge: By 2020, no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car or SUV. 
 
 Seriously. 
 
 "If you meet Swedish engineers, they're pretty genuine," said Lex Kerssemakers, CEO of Volvo Cars North America. "They don't say things when they don't believe in it." 
 
 There is one big caveat. If someone really wants to hurt themselves, or is just really, really stupid... well, Volvo can't do anything about that. But, assuming you're not a suicidal maniac or a total idiot, in four years, you'll be safer driving a new Volvo than you are climbing a ladder to screw in a light bulb. 
 
 Fatality-free vehicles are not unprecedented. In fact, there already are some, and they're not just Volvos. According to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are nine vehicle models -- including the Volvo XC90 -- in which no one in the United States died in the four years from 2009 to 2012, the most recent period for which data is available. 
 
 Volvo, still based in Sweden but now owned by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (GELYY), wants to make this the case for its entire vehicle line up throughout the world. The automaker already tracks how many people die in its vehicles in order to monitor safety. That way, engineers can tell how much safer their vehicles become each time they roll out a new crash-prevention technology. That also helps Volvo predict how much safer its vehicles will be with each new advancement. 
 
 Ultimately, all these new technologies will be tied to together to create a car that can, literally, drive itself. In fact, a number of automakers, not not just Volvo, have promised to sell autonomous cars by 2020. 
 
 "With the development of full autonomy we are going to push the limits of automotive safety," said Volvo safety engineer Erik Coelingh, "because if you make a fully autonomous vehicle you have to think through everything that potentially can happen with a car." 
 
 That doesn't mean that drivers will necessarily have to use the car's autonomous driving mode in order to be safe, though. Even when the driver is in full control of the car, these systems will still run in the background, ready to take over the instant there's danger. 
 
 Most of the technology that's required for autonomous driving is already available from Volvo and other carmakers. Here's a look at the features that, when combined all together in one vehicle, will essentially make it crashproof. 
 
 Adaptive Cruise Control: Adaptive cruise control, which is already available on many new cars, uses radar and sometimes other sensors to detect vehicles on the road ahead. You set a maximum speed and then your car maintains a safe following distance on its own, operating the gas and the brakes for you. Some systems like this only work at highway cruising speeds, but many can work even in stop-and-go traffic. 
 
 Auto lane keeping assist: Cameras detect lane lines and road edges, and the car steers itself to stay in its lane. 
 
 Collision avoidance: Radar, cameras or other sensors detect obstacles ahead and warn the driver. If the driver still doesn't react, the car can apply the brakes automatically to avoid, or at least reduce, the impact of a crash. In the United States, auto safety regulators have found this technology particularly effective in reducing crashes. 
 
 Pedestrian detection: Cameras, including ones that can see in the dark, are programmed to detect human forms that might wander into the path of the car. Drivers can be alerted and again, the car can brake automatically. 
 
 Large animal detection: Hitting a moose, deer or elk is definitely bad for the animal but it's also very bad for a car's passengers. Volvo has created a system that can detect when a big animal is walking in front of your car, saving both you and the absent-minded animal. 
 
 Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the time period during which nine vehicles, including the Volvo XC90, had no crash-related fatalities. ||||| Swedish automaker Volvo has long kept track of how many people are seriously injured or killed while driving its vehicles. It uses this data to see how much safer it can make its vehicles in the event of a crash. Now, the company has made a bold promise — by 2020 there will be no serious injuries or fatalities in a Volvo car or SUV. 
 
 Cars are getting smarter with the addition of autonomous technologies, and this is how Volvo hopes to reach its goal of zero deaths in its cars. This does not, of course, preclude someone from driving recklessly and getting themselves killed. However, conventional driving should be made much safer with the inclusion of a number of technologies. It starts with making the interior of the car safer with improved airbags and restraints. Then things get more futuristic. 
 
 Volvo already has various smart features in its cars, but by combining them all, it becomes much harder to end up in a serious accident. Adaptive cruise control for example, is already available on many cars. It allows you to set a maximum speed, but uses radar to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you. It can even apply the brakes if need be. This can be taken a step further with full collision avoidance. When a crash is likely, the driver will be warned. If action isn’t taken, the car can begin braking to avoid, or at least minimize the impact. 
 
 A relatively new technology that Volvo plans to make extensive use of is lane assistance. Cars will use cameras to detect lanes and alert the driver if they begin to drift. This has been found to dramatically reduce crashes from dozing off at the wheel and distracted driving. Road signs can be identified by cameras as well to help alert drivers to posted speed limits and upcoming hazards. 
 
 Cameras will also be used to watch for pedestrians in the vicinity of the vehicle. This is similar to the technology that is used in self-driving cars to identify potential obstacles on the road. The driver can be alerted if a person is in the car’s path and the brake can be automatically applied. In addition to people, cameras can be used to spot large animals in the roadway. For example, moose are common in Volvo’s home territory, and they’ll really mess your car up. Volvo has created a system that can act to avoid colliding with such a critter, saving both you and it. 
 
 Automakers like Ford and Tesla are moving quickly toward fully autonomous vehicles. Then there’s Google’s self-driving car program. Volvo too is in the early stages of driverless tech, and handing control over to a computer when it’s clear something is wrong could be a step in that direction. Proving that vehicles can prevent deaths with automated technologies could go a long way toward convincing the public and regulators that self-driving cars are the best option. Volvo thinks these self-driving cars will be the safest of all. 
 
 Still, claiming something to be death-proof seems risky. They said the Titanic was unsinkable, after all. ||||| I don’t often get the chance to drive large-capacity sport-utility vehicles as they’re meant to be, but this last holiday was (sort of) an exception. I drove a 2016 Volvo XC90 AWD Inscription to metro Milwaukee and back and brought along my family. Here’s where the “sort of” comes into play; my wife and I have no kids, but our three collies rode along behind the front seats. A borrowed rooftop carrier handled most of our luggage. (Note to Volvo Car USA: The Green Bay Packers “sticker” is a magnet.) 
 
 all-new Volvo XC90 in more than a dozen years as the future of luxury transportation. Even loaded to the gills and topped with that rooftop carrier, it managed about 20 mostly freeway mpg, enough to match its city EPA number. I had already come to regard the firstin more than a dozen years as the future of luxury transportation. Even loaded to the gills and topped with that rooftop carrier, it managed about 20 mostly freeway mpg, enough to match its city EPA number. 
 
 the S90 sedan, will ever have. The only upgrade will be the plug-in hybrid T8 powertrain that bumps the T6 turbo-/supercharged four from 316 horsepower to a cool 400. Actually, my first impression from a shorter drive earlier last year was that the XC90 is the future of high-capacity transportation. It’s a seven-passenger, three-row model that gets plenty of power from a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas, direct-injection engine powering all four wheels. It’s the largest engine that any new Volvo coming in the future, including, will ever have. The only upgrade will bethat bumps the T6 turbo-/supercharged four from 316 horsepower to a cool 400. 
 
 Big as the XC90 is, it feels light on its feet. It’s 194.8 inches long, on a 117.5-inch wheelbase. At 69.9 inches high, it doesn’t feel that tall when stepping in and out. Volvo has not joined the ranks of BMW competitors that are trying to beat BMW dynamics -- at least, what BMW’s dynamics used to be. This is an SUV you’re supposed to forget you are driving (while still paying close attention to traffic around you). Nothing about the steering, handling, or acceleration makes you want to find a twisty mountain road. Nothing about all that makes you wish you were driving a Bimmer either; the handling is sufficiently crisp, and the steering provides decent feedback. 
 
 Volvo XC90 has adjustable dynamics. I have a tough time caring about, and trying out, these systems. (BMW used to be able to find the right chassis balance without making its drivers do the fine-tuning.) The Dynamic mode lowers the XC90 by 0.8 inch when above 84 mph. It also adapts four-corner active dampers on the air suspension (which was an $1,800 option on my $66,855 loaner) and shifts the eight-speed automatic at higher revs. I tried it just long enough to learn that I didn’t need this mode for this drive. You -- and Volvo -- don’t want to see what happens when collies get carsick. Like BMW and all the competitors that want to be BMW, thehas adjustable dynamics. I have a tough time caring about, and trying out, these systems. (BMW used to be able to find the right chassis balance without making its drivers do the fine-tuning.) The Dynamic mode lowers the XC90 by 0.8 inch when above 84 mph. It also adapts four-corner active dampers on the air suspension (which was an $1,800 option on my $66,855 loaner) and shifts the eight-speed automatic at higher revs. I tried it just long enough to learn that I didn’t need this mode for this drive. You -- and Volvo -- don’t want to see what happens when collies get carsick. 
 
 I did click on the Eco mode somewhere near Ann Arbor during the return drive, to avoid having to stop for gas within 10 miles from home. In this mode, it goes into "Eco-coast" when you lift off the throttle above 40 mph, thus cutting power and saving gas. I made it. Guess Eco works. 
 
 The new Pilot Assist II, to launch on the 2017 Volvo S90, does not require following another car, and it allows autonomous steering up to 80 mph. This would make the agonizing, stop-and-go drive through Chicago perhaps as easy as the rest of the trip … especially when the express lanes are open in my direction. I also tried the adaptive cruise control with Pilot Assist, but only briefly. Fact is, there isn’t much to do with this system because it works only up to 30 mph, and you rely on the car in front of you, which almost always will accelerate past 30 on most any street or road., does not require following another car, and it allows autonomous steering up to 80 mph. This would make the agonizing, stop-and-go drive through Chicago perhaps as easy as the rest of the trip … especially when the express lanes are open in my direction. 
 
 Super Cruise highway semi-autonomy until next year, Mercedes-Benz introduced its next step in the new E-Class that made its debut at the North American International Auto Show last week. Mercedes, which is Volvo’s chief rival in such advances, says if you signal for it, the new E-Class will change lanes autonomously while on a highway or freeway. The future of autonomous driving has come into focus just in the first few weeks of this new year. While Cadillac has delayed introduction of itsuntil next year, Mercedes-Benz introduced its next step inlast week. Mercedes, which is Volvo’s chief rival in such advances, says if you signal for it, the new E-Class will change lanes autonomously while on a highway or freeway. 
 
 operator rules for autonomous vehicles that require human drivers to always be in control. But then last week, ahead of the president’s appearance at the Detroit show, the Obama administration announced a $4 billion pilot program to study the technology, thus taking the leadership away from California. Volvo plans its test of Level 4 autonomy on about 31 miles of highway in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2017 and wants to next test somewhere in the U.S. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles put the kibosh on that late last year when it issuedthat require human drivers to always be in control. But then last week, ahead of the president’s appearance at the Detroit show, the Obama administration announced a $4 billion pilot program to study the technology, thus taking the leadership away from California. 
 
 Though I will be among the last drivers to give up a manual-equipped car -- which can’t be made autonomous -- I’m growing more comfortable with the fiercely growing trajectory of autonomous driving. For a seven-hour drive on tedious interstate in a big, luxurious SUV with your family, a bit of extra comfort (and, therefore, safety) is a welcomed thing. ||||| The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed a 10 year, nearly $4 billion investment into the development and adoption of safe self-driving vehicles through real-world pilot projects. 
 
 The proposal is part of President Obama’s latest State of the Union address where he expressed the need to invest in a 21st century transportation system. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx made the announcement at the recent North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit saying transformational automotive technology can significantly improve vehicle safety, mobility and sustainability. 
 
 “We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform mobility for the American people,” Foxx says. “Today’s actions and those we will pursue in the coming months will provide the foundation and the path forward for manufacturers, state officials, and consumers to use new technologies and achieve their full safety potential.” 
 
 Under the proposal, pilot programs would be used to test connected vehicle systems in designated regions throughout the country and work with automotive leaders to create a common multistate framework for connected and autonomous vehicles. 
 
 In addition, DOT has unveiled policy guidance that updates the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 2013 preliminary policy statement on autonomous vehicles. The new guidance allows for the widespread deployment of fully autonomous vehicles. The NHTSA says that by using the deployment of new technologies it is possible to eliminate 94% of fatal crashes that involve human error. 
 
 Under the proposal, DOT hopes to accomplish in 2016: 
 
 In six months, the NHTSA will work with the automotive industry to develop guidance on the safe deployment and operation of autonomous vehicles with a common understanding of the performance characteristics necessary for fully autonomous vehicles and the testing and analysis needed to assess them. 
 
 In six months, the NHTSA will work with state partners to develop model state policy on automated vehicles that offers a path to consistent national policy. 
 
 Encourage manufacturers to submit rule interpretation requests to help enable technology innovation. 
 
 When the interpretation authority is not sufficient, encourage manufacturers to submit requests for use of the agency’s exemption authority to allow the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles. 
 
 Develop new tools necessary for this new era of vehicle safety and mobility and for the deployment of vehicles without a human driver in mind still conform to an equivalent or higher level of safety than there is now. 
 
 So far, automakers and industry organizations have come out in favor of the proposal. General Motors says in a statement that it welcomed the opportunity to work with the government and industry on a “collaborative approach with automakers to further enhance vehicle safety.” 
 
 The Association of Global Automakers, an industry organization representing international motor vehicle OEMs, equipment suppliers and other trade associations, applauded the DOT proposal saying the technology “promises to bring significant benefits for improving personal mobility, vehicle safety, fuel efficiency, emissions and highway congestion.” 
 
 The association went on to say automated vehicles will have a profound impact on the way the technology is tested and deployed not just at the state level but nationwide. “It is important that any policy is consistent and balanced so it not only reflects the current state of technology, but also is flexible enough to adapt as our industry continues to innovate,” the Association of Global Automakers says.
– Volvo has just come out with a gutsy move, making what CNN Money is calling a "shocking pledge"—that not a single person will be killed or even seriously injured in a new Volvo car or SUV by 2020. (Not including a driver who does something "really, really stupid," as CNN puts it.) Engineers already have some ground to stand on, given that not a single person has died in the Volvo XC90 over the past four years. And while it's in an elite squad, that model isn't alone—eight others claim the distinction. To reach its goal, Volvo (and other car makers working on similar safety features, including Ford and Tesla) is leaning heavily on autonomous technologies, reports Extreme Tech. Some of the features are run-of-the-mill—think better air bags and restraints—while others are more advanced, including adaptive cruise control, pedestrian and large animal detection, sign reading, and an assist to keep the vehicle between lane lines. "Still, claiming something to be death-proof seems risky," notes the Extreme Tech post. "They said the Titanic was unsinkable, after all." Meanwhile, a review in Automobile Magazine calls the XC90 the "future of luxury transportation" with "crisp" handling and steering that provides "decent feedback." It also notes that Volvo is planning to test its latest autonomy technology on 30 miles of highway in Sweden next year, while the Obama administration recently announced a $4 billion pilot program to study the tech further. (Check out why GM and Lyft are partnering up.)