Volvo made a bold announcement this week – to have an injury-proof car by the year 2020. Sweden’s head of traffic safety Claes Tingvall doubts the target can be achieved, but I think we all know what is important would be the increases in vehicle safety research and development and new production-worthy safety systems that Volvo will be churning out leading up to 2020.
“I think if you look into the future, we as a community will not accept that we have injuries,” says Jan Ivarsson, head of Volvo’s safety team. Ivarsson’s predecessor invented the three-point seatbelt way back in the 1950s, which is now a standard feature in all cars. Volvo also pioneered crumple zones, side airbags and rear-facing child seats, which all contribute to increased vehicle occupant safety.
In the long run, Ivarsson is of the opinion that we may even have uncrashable cars, which can automatically steer, accelerate and brake out of harm’s way in the case of an imminent car crash.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
is it possible?
gonna require alot of technology to do that.
of course, even the latest S-Class can drive for you, who knows what can happen?
Volvo is synonamous with safety. This is an ongoing R&D to improve the vehicle safety. Still, the unscrplous driver will get injured.
uncrashable cars? the thrill of driving comes at a risk, might as well take a train
A car that drives by itself using the GPS. Also has cameras up front so if it sees the speedlimit in writing you cannot floor it more than the speed limit. Imagine having that and driving at school area…30kmh
i support volvo
Wow! I would like to see that. Airbags all around or let the car drives itself instead of the driver. Anyway Volvo can make the car safe but can’t make the driver driving safely. Well at least we can see less injuries or fatalities in the future.
Most accident are caused by drivers, hardly linked by car’s mechanical faults.
Anyway, I support Volvo’s effort though.