Volvo sinnesro12

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) “Global status report on road safety 2015” report, there were 1.25 million road traffic deaths globally in 2013, which amounts to about 3,424 deaths daily.

Diving deeper into the report, based on the average of the world’s road traffic deaths by type of road user and WHO region, car occupants accounted for 31% of deaths, followed by motorised two/three wheelers (23%), pedestrians (22%), others (21%) and cyclists (4%).

With these figures, regulators and car manufacturers are faced with an ongoing challenge to reduce such statistics, be it through the implementation of new laws or technology.

While the former may appear to be all encompassing, what with speed limits and the such, enforcing such laws isn’t a surety that these unwanted deaths can be reduced. And should an accident take place, what use is the law in preventing the victims from meeting their maker?

Therefore, car manufacturers are the ones who need to step up to ensure that their products not only meet the safety needs of regulators, but also exceed them wherever possible. And when you put “cars” and “safety” in one sentence, Volvo will undoubtedly be the brand that pops into mind.

The Swedish carmaker’s rich history when it comes to safety is motivated by one thing – people. The words of founders – Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, encapsulate this heritage – “cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is – and must remain – safety.”

This emphasis on safety is backed by the words of Hakan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars – “our vision is that by 2020 no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.”

With this target in mind, Volvo has made many technological advancements that not assist in dealing with an accident, but also help to prevent it from happening in the first place. This requires knowledge, which the company has heavily invested in to obtain.

Volvo Cars Traffic Accident Research Team

In 1970, the company set up the Traffic Accident Research Team to perform in-depth studies of accidents, collect accident statistics and do Field Operational Tests (FOT). The information gathered has been used in improving Volvo vehicles ever since, from side impact protection systems to auto brake technology.

From all that is gathered, Volvo’s latest models represent the culmination of all its latest developments thus far. The new new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) used for the XC90 for instance, uses over 40% hot-formed steel in its structure, a 33% increase from its predecessor.

The SUV, with its distinctive Scandanavian design, also boasts some of the latest passive and active safety features as well. The former includes smart belt pre-tension systems that allows the safety belts to be tightened in advance before or during the event of a collission to keep the occupants in place.

For the latter, Volvo’s Intellisafe suite is comprised of several individual systems that are capable of avoiding or mitigating collisions from happening. Among them includes City Safety – a low speed collision mitigation and avoidance system that is standard on all Volvo cars.

Integrated Booster Cushion (with child)

Capable of working at speed of up to 50 km/h, the system is capable of providing autonomous braking should the driver fail to respond the the imminent threat of a collision. Camera, radar and sensor technologies on the vehicle provide all the necessary information for the system to function.

On the XC90, S60 and XC60, the system is further enhanced to detect not just cars, but pedestrians and cyclists as well. Other systems that are a part of the Intellisafe suite include Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Aid, which are able to detect and assist in ensuring the vehicle remains within the lane markers should the driver lose his or her concentration.

Sinnesro is the Swedish word for “peace of mind.” There’s a very good reason why Sweden is a world leader in automotive safety. The best way to deal with an accident is to prevent it from ever happening.

Volvo’s pioneering safety technologies packed in the new XC90, from City Safety to Lane Departure Warning, support you in your daily driving, help you avoid or mitigate collisions and protect you in the event of an accident.