Your knowledge, decisions and actions determine how safely you drive. Your vehicle has features that, in certain situations, can compensate for mistakes and lapses in judgment. However, they do not change where the responsibility lies. They are a supplement to good driver practices, which you are responsible for as a driver.
- Driving and using driver support functions
- Knowing the vehicle's capabilities and limitations
- Driver distraction
- Driver fatigue
- Laws and regulations
Driving
You are responsible for adapting your driving to the current conditions, even when using driver support functions. This includes adapting your distance to other vehicles' speeds, as well as being ready to react to traffic and road hazards. Your vehicle's safety interventions and warnings rely on accurate detection and identification of surrounding traffic and road conditions. The detection systems cannot handle all driving, traffic, weather and road conditions.
Note
Driver support
Driver support functions can assist you with certain driving tasks and improve driving awareness. When used correctly, they can improve safety and convenience, but they are not a replacement for safe driving practices. Drive the vehicle with the same attention to safety as you would need to in a vehicle without these functions.
Knowing the vehicle's capabilities and limitations
Before driving, all drivers are advised to familiarize themselves with the vehicle and any functions and features they might use. The driver has a responsibility to ensure they have sufficient knowledge of the vehicle to use it safely.
If you are uncertain about any of the vehicle's functions or have questions about its intended use, consult the manual. If you can't find the information you need, contact Volvo Support.
Driver distraction
Distractions reduce your attentiveness and focus when driving. As a driver, you are always responsible for assessing whether a task is safe to perform. Your assessment should take the situation as a whole into account, as well as specific conditions and circumstances that can cause distraction. It might be safe to adjust the volume when you're driving on a straight empty road, but not in more demanding situations, such as when overtaking.
Warning
Avoid distractions
- Do not hold your phone while driving. Local laws often restrict or forbid phone use while driving.
- Do not manually change the navigation route while driving.
- Do not change detailed sound settings while driving.
Driver responsibility and safety features
Your vehicle has several safety features designed to reduce the risk of an accident. They do not reduce the driver's responsibility to remain attentive or the need to operate the vehicle as safely as possible.
Tip
Help from passengers
Tasks that risk distracting the driver can often be done by a passenger instead. However, certain actions are simply not available in the vehicle when driving, such as reading this manual on the display. For these actions, you need to be parked.
Voice control
Voice commands can, in some situations, be less distracting than doing the same task manually.
Driver fatigue
The driver is always responsible for being well-rested. Your vehicle has some functions with abilities to warn you if you show signs of fatigue. It's important to always stop and take a break at the slightest feeling of fatigue, regardless of whether a function has given you a warning.
Laws and regulations
The driver is always responsible for knowing and following local laws and regulations. If you drive to a region with different traffic laws, make sure that the vehicle is equipped as required and read up on how the traffic laws differ from what you're used to.