VW Group expands road safety data programme to Europe

Volkswagen Group is expanding a programme to collect sensor and image data from customer vehicles across approximately 40 European countries starting in January 2026, with the aim of improving driver assistance systems and automated driving functions using information from real traffic situations. The initiative will begin with Volkswagen Passenger Cars models before rolling out to Cupra, Škoda, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Audi and Porsche, with customer consent required for data transmission.

Data transmission can be triggered by the emergency braking assistant, manual full braking and sudden evasive manoeuvres, with the automaker collecting camera images, environment sensor readings, speed, steering angle, and weather and visibility conditions. The programme builds on existing use of anonymised swarm data for high-resolution mapping.

The German automaker said continuous data transmission does not take place, with collection focused on specific scenarios such as intersections near schools or complex parking environments. Data collection may include other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in the immediate surroundings to help camera-based systems classify objects accurately.

Consent can be given through various channels implemented individually by each brand and revoked at any time. Volkswagen Group said all data protection regulations are strictly observed and individual information about people in the traffic environment is not relevant to the programme.

Source: Volkswagen Group