I agree, the auto manufactures hold the responsibility for the 2 to 3 ton killing machine rolling around with texting-distracted drivers.
I see a few different things in the stories here - I'll try to unpack them as I see them.
1. Working with POC, Volvo is recognizing that not all collisions can be avoided by the best driver or 'smartest' car; so let's create better helmets to save lives. This research could lead to changes in auto design too, like the pedestrian impact standards (see 4). I'm encouraged to see the car company working with the bike company, it's better than no collaboration.
2. Volvo leads the industry with bike avoidance tech - this is based on the vehicle's cameras; and does not require the person on bike to do anything. BTW the newest version of this camera system will avoid cars, pedestrians, bikes, and now large animals - this system is called City Safety System and only works at low speeds (like in the city).
3. The cell phone tech (ie using Strava) to detect a person on bike is next level to avoid collisions where the camera systems can not see a person on bike.
4. All cars were forced by EU standards to improve car design for pedestrian impacts (not all US cars meet these standards).
https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...atter-feature/
5. I've kept my old XC70 for the love of the boxy design; Lisa gets bored, so she keeps getting new curvy cars.