| Safety innovation is second nature to Volvo
as it unveils yet more pioneering products |
The all-new Volvo S40 |
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| "The safety and protection of the
human body is at the heart of the Volvo company" |
The design of any Volvo car begins and ends with safety –
both protective and preventative – earning it an enviable
reputation for safety among UK company car drivers. The safety and
protection of the human body has been at the heart of the Volvo
company since the introduction of a protective safety cage around
the passenger compartment as long ago as 1944. Volvo also pioneered
a number of life-saving innovations, such as three-point front safety
belt in 1959 and the side impact protection system in 1991.
More recently:
| 1998 |
WHIPS – Whiplash Protection System IC – Volvo
Inflatable Curtain |
| 2000 |
£59m Volvo Safety Centre, crash test and research laboratory
opens Dual-stage inflation airbags |
| 2001 |
Volvo Safety Concept Car (SCC) |
| 2002 |
RSC (Roll Stability Control) Extended rollover protection
system (ROPS) |
| 2002 |
Development of a virtual, pregnant crash dummy |
| 2003 |
IDIS (Intelligent Driver Information System)
Rear seatbelt reminders (S40 and V50)
New, patented front-end structure (S40/V50) reduces collision
forces |
| 2004 |
BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) |
The quest for improvements to existing safety features and the invention
of new ones goes on today at the Volvo Safety Centre in Gothenburg,
where crash test dummies replicating the human forms of men, women,
pregnant women, children and babies play a vital part in research,
testing and design.
PROTECTIVE SAFETY
Crumple zones
In order to match the safety performance of the much larger Volvo
S80, the designers of the new S40 and V50 models adopted a new approach
to structural design. When a compact car is involved in a frontal
collision, deformation is absorbed within a short distance, so the
S40 and V50 has a frontal body structure which is divided into several
zones. Each zone has a different task in the deformation process and
four different steel grades are used to give each zone the relevant
properties to perform its task. The zonal system enables the collision
forces to be absorbed in a highly ingenious and effective manner.
Pedestrian protection
The new Volvo S40 and V50 have a front characterised by clean, smooth
surfaces and rounded corners. The curves and panels are shaped to
help reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians and cyclists in the
event of an accident. Furthermore, the front has an energy-absorbing
structure ahead of the bumper so as to help reduce the risk of leg
injuries.The bonnet and front wings are designed to absorb collision
energy. This helps reduce the risk of head injuries. In addition,
the compact new petrol engines leave a generous 70mm of free space
between the cylinder head and bonnet.
SIPS (Side Impact Protection System)
New Volvo S40 and V50 models have the same type of side impact protection
as found on the S60 and S80 models, with SIPS, side-impact airbags
and inflatable curtains. These curtains are designed to provide
enhanced occupant protection in rollover accidents, by deflating
more slowly (approximately three seconds) than the front airbags.
The side airbags are larger than in the previous S40 model to help
provide more effective protection at hip and chest height. Several
features contribute to the stiffer body and help reduce side intrusion:
- The reinforced, transversely installed tubular beam between
A-pillars
- The diagonally installed beams of Ultra High Strength Steel
in the doors
- The B-pillars, which have been significantly reinforced and
are dimensioned to help provide enhanced protection
In recent Euro NCAP frontal offset impact and side impact tests,
the new S40 achieved the maximum rating of five stars.
WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System)
Volvo’s latest safety
innovation – BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) |
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| "Inspired by fighter aircraft technology,
IDIS helps the driver to avoid being distracted while driving" |
WHIPS is designed to protect front-seat occupants from back and neck
injury in the event of a rear-end collision. The entire front seat
and head restraint gently move backwards to cushion the head and upper
body of the seat occupant, reducing the forward rebound that occurs
during a collision. Earlier this year, joint crash test analyses by
Folksam and the SNRA of 14 different seats found that the Volvo S40,
which incorporates the Volvo WHIPS system as standard, offered the
highest levels of whiplash protection level in a rear impact collision.
As a consequence it becomes one of two models to earn the accolade
of “Best Pick”.
Child safety
Like other Volvo models, the new S40 and V50 have been developed
with children in mind. Both rear outer seats can be fitted with
integrated booster cushions for children above three years of age.
The front passenger seats are also prepared to fit a rearward-facing
child seat and have special anchorage loops for attachment using
the safety belt. Although the front passenger airbag can be switched
off and disabled (necessary when a child seat is fitted in the front
seat), no child seat should be placed in the front seat of a Volvo
S40 or V50 as both vehicles are equipped with passenger side airbags
as part of SIPS. The new Volvo S40 recently achieved a Euro NCAP
rating of four stars for child protection.
PREVENTATIVE SAFETY
Rear seatbelt reminder
A rear seatbelt reminder is fitted as standard on the new S40 and
V50, warning drivers of unfastened seatbelts in the rear, as well
as the front of the vehicle. The car driver can ensure that all
passengers are safely belted in before setting off and will be instantly
warned if a seatbelt is unfastened for any reason while the car
is in motion.
IDIS – Intelligent Driver Information
System
IDIS is a new standard feature on the new S40 and V50. Inspired
by fighter aircraft technology, the system helps the driver to avoid
being distracted while driving, such as when overtaking or braking.
Signals from the integrated GSM telephone and certain peripheral
information are delayed under certain conditions until the situation
is calmer. The IDIS function continuously registers with driver’s
activity by monitoring steering wheel angles, acceleration, turn
signal function and so on. This information is processed and, at
a given activity level, information that is not essential for safety
is held back.
Look behind you
One of Volvo’s latest innovations is BLIS – Blind Spot
Information System which aims to reduce blind spots for the driver
on both sides of their car. Volvo was the first to introduce a wide-angle
mirror on the driver’s side, and now BLIS takes the next step
by using digital camera technology and a monitoring system to watch
for vehicles in areas along both sides of the car. The Blind Spot
Information System (BLIS) uses digital camera technology mounted
in both door mirrors that monitors the driver’s blind spots.
A digital camera is fitted on each door mirror and takes a large
number of frames per second. By comparing the picture frames, the
system can register when a vehicle is moving into the monitored
zone, which is 9.5 metres long and three metres wide. A light flashes
inside the car near the door mirror on the A-pillar when a car is
in the blind spot to alert the driver. BLIS will be in production
soon (available on the Volvo S60, V70, XC70, S80 and XC90). It is
activated at speeds above 10kph and designed to alert the driver
to vehicles that are moving to a maximum of 70kph faster than the
driver’s own vehicle.
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