Volkswagen Group will use real-world data from drivers to optimise its safety systems under latest plans.

Volkswagen said the real-world data would help optimise safety tech through software updates

The rollout – which will require customer consent – was announced a year ago and starts this month with Volkswagen Passenger Cars models, followed by Cupra, Škoda, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Audi and Porsche.

Volkswagen said the new programme would help optimise driver-assistance systems and automated driving functions using data from real traffic situations. This would benefit customers through software updates to their vehicles.

The Volkswagen Group already uses data to help improve road safety. Areas include utilisation of anonymised swarm data to generate high-resolution maps, helping vehicles with lane keeping assistance to maintain lane guidance on roads without lane markings. This technology also enables precise driving recommendations and hazard alerts, which can be refined by local weather conditions.

The latest programme builds on successful experiences in Germany and will expand Volkswagen’s work in utilising sensor and image data from customer vehicles to around 40 European countries that include the UK.

Volkswagen said data from real driving situations is significantly more practical than tests with prototypes or simulations. The goal is to design assistance functions so that customers perceive them as effective and ideally keep them activated at all times, boosting safety for all road users.

Data will only be transferred in specific scenarios, where driver-assistance systems are especially useful. These can include traffic situations involving cyclists and pedestrians, for example near schools, or in busy, complex supermarket car parks.

Data transmission can be triggered by the emergency braking assistant, manual full braking, and sudden evasive manoeuvres.

Volkswagen also said that certain sensor, function and image data are particularly relevant for development work. These include camera images of the vehicle’s surroundings and detection results from the environment sensors, as well as driving direction, speed, and steering angle. Information on weather, visibility, and lighting conditions also plays an important role.

Customer consent is a fundamental prerequisite and the programme will be carried out in full compliance with all national and European data protection regulations.

This consent can be given through various channels and is implemented individually by each brand – for example, as an option in the customer profile. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Data collection and transmission may also include other vehicles or road users such as pedestrians and cyclists in the immediate surroundings – seen as essential because camera-based systems must visually classify objects and people accurately, even under challenging conditions, and correctly assess complex traffic situations.

The privacy policy for Volkswagen Passenger Cars – the first brand to go live with the Europe-wide initiative – is online here. Details for other brands will go live as they join the project.