Volvo's Tradition of Safety

In 1927 Volvo’s founders Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson stated that “Cars are driven by people. Therefore the guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo is – and must remain – safety.”

Since then Volvo Cars has introduced a number of ground-breaking technologies. To this day the three-point seat belt from 1959 is the single most effective lifesaver on the roads. Over the years Volvo’s cars have been equipped with an ever-growing list of safety solutions from crumple zones, safety cages, airbags and whiplash protection to systems for dynamic stability and driving control.

However, it is the interaction between the various safety systems and functions, not the individual components, that determines just how safe a car is. In a Volvo, safety is the result of a complete, integrated system. From the outset this holistic view has been a cornerstone of the Volvo Cars safety philosophy.

The driver is central

Volvo Cars’ development of safety solutions is based on three main approaches: the car, the traffic environment and the human being. The driver needs to be alert and have the ability to take quick decisions in stressful situations, which is often easier said than done.

“We focus on technologies that help the driver observe critical situations and avoid collisions. Traffic accidents should not be regarded as unavoidable. With the right technology, we can give the driver the support needed to help avoid accidents,” says Jonas Ekmark, manager of Preventive Safety at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre.

Analysis and development in five phases

With the aim of creating a sound basis continued development of safety technology from a human perspective, Volvo Cars is involved in far-reaching research based on real-life traffic situations. The Volvo Cars model and methodology for accident analysis means an extension of the traditional approach to traffic accident research by focusing on the entire sequence, divided into five phases – from non-conflict to post-crash. Based on these phases, the company develops and enhances its safety solutions – all of which are now gathered together in the new Volvo XC60.

Phase 1: Non-Conflict

In the first phase, the foundation is laid to help avoid critical situations. In Volvo’s cars it is a basic requirement that the driver must always have good visibility and that the chassis, engine, brakes and steering together give the driver the best possible control over the vehicle. The driver and passenger in-car environment is another important factor that affects well-being and attentiveness. Helping the driver not to use the car after drinking alcohol is yet another way of avoiding an accident at an early stage. In recent years, Volvo has also developed a range of new technologies that all help the driver maintain focus on the road.

•          Alcoguard: A fully integrated alcolock utilising advanced fuel cell technology that is both user-friendly and very dependable.

•          Driver Alert Control (DAC): Unique technology to warn tired and inattentive drivers. This system continuously monitors the car’s progress between the lane markings and notifies the driver if his or her driving pattern is erratic or slightly uncontrolled. The driver is thus alerted long before his or her eyelids start drooping, and also in the event of distraction caused by other factors, such as when talking on the phone.

•          Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): Adaptive cruise control that utilises radar sensors to continuously monitor the vehicle in front. It automatically adjusts speed to maintain a set distance behind the vehicle in front.

•          Distance Alert (DA): Comfort-enhancing detail that helps the driver maintain the set time gap behind the vehicle in front even when the active cruise control is not activated.

•          Blind Spot Information System (BLIS): A camera helps detect vehicles in the blind spot both in daylight and darkness. A warning lamp comes on near the side mirror to alert the driver.

•          Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS): Helps stop the driver from being distracted by non-essential information in pressing situations, for instance by delaying incoming phone calls or SMS text messages.

•          Active Bi-Xenon Lights: Moving headlight beams that follow the curve of the road when cornering. For the best possible visibility when driving at night on twisting roads.

•          Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS): A sensor and transmitter in each tyre valve monitors and sends continuous information about the tyre pressure in the tyre.

•          Park Assist Camera (PAC) – rear: An advanced function that not only gives the driver an extra eye to the rear, it also shows the intended course prior to a reversing manoeuvre.

Phase 2: Conflict

A critical situation is imminent. The car might be about to skid or approaching a vehicle that is standing still. In such situations and others, preventive safety functions can step in to stabilise the car or alert the driver. In this way, the driver is given a better safety margin.

•          Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC): A stability-enhancement system that helps reduce the risk of skidding by cutting the engine’s torque when necessary and applying properly calculated braking power. The function has been further developed in the new Volvo XC60 to register the car’s roll rate as well. This is highly noticeable in dynamic driving where the car is exposed to high lateral forces.

•          Lane Departure Warning (LDW): Alerts the driver with a gentle warning sound if the car crosses one of the road markings without an obvious reason such as use of the turn indicator. This function thus helps prevent single-vehicle road departure accidents as well as head-on collisions caused by temporary distraction.

•          Roll Stability Control (RSC): An active stability-enhancing system that calculates the risk of rolling over. If the system assesses the risk as high, engine torque is restricted and some braking force is applied to one or more wheels to counteract the rollover tendency.

•          Collision Warning (CW): If the driver approaches another vehicle from the rear without reacting, a red warning light is projected on the windscreen at the same time as a warning buzzer sounds. This prompts the driver to respond to the danger and in most cases avoid an accident. This function is part of Collision Warning with Auto Brake which is detailed later in Phase 3.

•          Trailer Stability Assist (TSA): Helps dampen the snaking motion that can occur when towing a trailer or caravan behind the car. Stabilization is obtained by braking one or more of the car’s wheels and by decreasing engine torque. TSA is an entirely new function that is being launched together with the Volvo XC60.

Phase 3: Avoidance/Mitigation

The accident is about to happen. The car in front may now be so close that severe braking is essential. Some of Volvo’s preventive safety functions can now step in and respond if the driver can no longer avoid the collision on his or her own. However, it is important to emphasise that new preventive safety technologies do not relieve the driver of the responsibility of driving safely.

•          City Safety: This unique Volvo technology can help the driver avoid frontal collisions at low speeds. If the driver is about to drive into the back of a vehicle and does not react in time, the car will brake by itself. City Safety is being introduced as standard as a world-first in the new Volvo XC60.

•          Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB): A function that first warns via an audible and visible signal, then engages the brake pads to reduce the braking system’s response time, before braking automatically if a front collision against a moving or stationary vehicle is imminent.

•          Emergency Brake Lamps (EBL): If the driver presses hard on the brake pedal, the high-positioned brake lights starts to flash for a short while and then turns into permanent light. When the car has stopped the hazard warning lights are turned on to alert traffic behind.

Phase 4: Crash

If a collision is unavoidable the most important thing is to minimise the injuries to the cars’ occupants. Volvo’s cars are designed to offer their occupants excellent collision protection. The car has advanced safety protection with safety belts, pre-tensioners, airbags, inflatable curtains and a strong safety cage. All in all, these advanced safety technologies help make a Volvo one of the safest cars in its class. At the same time, every Volvo is designed to be as gentle as possible on the occupants of other cars and on unprotected road-users.

•          Reduction of impact speed. The collision is unavoidable – the autobrake feature reduces the speed of impact.

•          Crumple zones: The front body structure in a Volvo car is divided into several zones, each with a different task in the event of a collision. The outer zones account for most of the deformation. The closer the impact energy gets to the passenger compartment, the less the material deforms. The aim is that the passenger compartment should remain as intact as possible to help protect the occupants.

•          Lower cross-member that helps protects lower cars: The front suspension subframe in the new Volvo XC60 is supplemented with a lower cross-member positioned at the height of the beam in a conventional car. The lower cross-member strikes the oncoming car’s protective structure, activating its crumple zone as intended so the occupants can be given the maximum level of protection.

•          Front that helps reduce pedestrian injuries: Volvos have energy-absorbing features including a well-proportioned, soft structure in front of the bumper. This helps counteract the risk of leg injuries. In addition, the bonnet has a raised shape and underneath there is a honeycomb structure that distributes the load in a similar way.

•          Compact, transversely installed engines: All Volvo models feature a transverse driveline and front-wheel drive. Transverse installation of the engine frees more space for deformation and helps reduce the risk of penetration into the passenger compartment in a frontal collision.

•          Three-point seat belt: In 1959 Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seat belt which has been a Volvo standard ever since. The seat belt is today found in all car models, regardless of manufacturer, the world over. We therefore say that there is a little bit of Volvo in every car.

•          Seat belt pre-tensioner: In a collision, pre-tensioners automatically tighten the belt across the body to reduce the seat occupant’s movement and help provide maximum protection.

•          Pre-Prepared Restraints (PRS): PRS is yet another new function in the new Volvo XC60. A laser sensor interacts with other on-board technology and controls the airbags and adaptive seat belt load limiters to suit the severity of the collision. The PRS can thereby contribute to further reducing injuries.

•          Airbags: Volvo Cars has continuously refined the technology to improve protection in both frontal and side impacts. For instance, Volvo was the first manufacturer in the world to offer a seat-mounted side airbag and an inflatable curtain (IC).

•          Side Impact Protection System (SIPS): A well-balanced combination of high-strength steel of different grades interacts to minimise penetration into the passenger compartment. According to our own and official statistics the patented SIPS together with the side-impact airbag reduces severe chest injuries by more than 50%. 

•          Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS): Volvo’s system for avoiding neck injuries – WHIPS – is one of the most effective on the market. In the event of a rear-end collision the front seat backrest accompanies the passenger’s initial body movement and dampens the incoming force rather like one’s hand does when catching a ball.

•          Laminated windows: The optional panoramic roof in the XC60 is laminated to reduce the risk of glass shattering. All the other windows can be equipped with laminated glass for comfort and security reasons.

•          Integrated two-stage child booster cushion: In the early 1970s, Volvo Cars was the first car manufacturer to develop its own child seat. In 2007 the company presented yet another new development: the integrated two-stage child booster cushion. The booster cushion helps position the lap belt correctly over the pelvis and elevates the child, making it easier to see out the window. The cushion is supplemented by a belt that is suited to the child’s weight as well as an inflatable curtain (IC) that is extra-long to help protect the child’s head.

•          Child seat anchorage system – ISOFIX: Volvo Cars has been one of the prime drivers behind the joint international project to develop the ISOFIX standard. ISOFIX is an attachment system that makes it easier to fit a child seat correctly in all cars equipped with the system.

Phase 5: Post-Crash

Volvo has many years experience in examining and following up actual accidents involving Volvo cars. In order to extend the analysis to the chain of events occurring moments before the collision, Volvo Cars supplements its own statistics with external detailed studies and reconstructions of chains of events. The collective knowledge thus generated is later used in the development of new Volvo safety technology.

•          Volvo On Call: In the event of an accident where the seat belt pre-tensioner and airbags have been activated, this in-car function automatically alerts an operator manning a round-the-clock customer service facility. The operator can immediately see the exact location of the car and can quickly direct assistance to the site and help the driver through the situation. The driver can also manually activate the service in an emergency by pressing an SOS button. Volvo On Call is available on several European markets and can be specified as an option on all Volvo models equipped with an integrated phone.

Volvo Cars’ Traffic Accident Research Team

Volvo Cars’ Traffic Accident Research Team traces its roots to the 1960s. A few years after Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seat belt and Volvo Cars had introduced it as standard in front seats, a comprehensive survey was carried out of the seat belt’s injury-reducing effect.

The survey, which was carried out in 1966, encompassed all cases of injury in Sweden that involved a Volvo and it covered a period of one year. The results indicated that the seat belt reduced injury frequency by 50 percent. Volvo realised then that detailed knowledge about what actually happens with the vehicle and its occupants in a collision is valuable in the product development process. A decision was therefore taken in 1970 to establish the company’s own Traffic Accident Research Team, which has worked continuously ever since. Over the past 35 years, Volvo Cars’ own traffic accident research unit has collected data from more than 36,000 accidents. This information has resulted in an invaluable contribution both to Volvo’s own safety work and to traffic accident research in general.

The Volvo Cars Safety Centre

In order to offer cars with a world-class safety level, Volvo Cars regards it as essential to ensure that the safety systems used cover every size of occupant, across a wide range of speeds and a broad spectrum of collision scenarios. For this reason 100–120 crash tests are performed with each new car model at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre and, before the car even exists as a prototype, it has been crashed several thousands of times in virtual simulators. This unique facility in Göteborg opened in 2000 and is among the most advanced centres of its kind. The tests form a highly effective complement to the experiences gained from accident research in the field. 

Safety milestones

1944            Safety cage

1944            Laminated windscreen

1959            Three-point seat belts in the front

1960            Padded instrument panel

1964            Prototype of the first rear-facing child seat is tested in a Volvo

1966            Twin-circuit triangular (three-wheel) backup braking system

1966            Crumple zones

1967            Seat belts in the rear

1968            Head restraints front

1969            Three-point inertia-reel seat belts in the front

1970            Volvo Cars’ Traffic Accident Research Team established

1972            Three-point seat belts in the rear

1972            Rear-facing child seat and child-proof door locks

1972            Volvo Experimental Safety Car (VESC)

1973            Energy-absorbing steering column

1974            Energy-absorbing bumpers

1974            Fuel tank relocated for enhanced safety

1978            Child booster cushion for children

1982            Under-run protection

1982            Door mirrors of wide-angle type

1984            ABS, anti-locking brakes

1986            Brake lights at eye level

1986            Three-point seat belt in the middle of the rear seat

1987            Seat belt pre-tensioner

1987            Driver’s airbag

1990            Integrated booster cushion for children

1991            SIPS, side impact collision protection

1991            Automatic height adjustment of front seat belts

1993            Three-point inertia-reel seat belt in all the seats

1994            SIPS, side-impact airbags

1997            ROPS, Roll-Over Protection System for convertible models (C70)

1998            WHIPS, protection against whiplash injuries

1998            IC, inflatable curtain,

1998            DSTC, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control

2000            Volvo Cars Safety Centre inaugurated in Göteborg on 29 March

2000            ISOFIX attachments for child seats

2000            Two-stage airbag

2000            Volvo On Call safety system

2000            Volvo Cars Safety Centre’s new crash laboratory inaugurated

2001            Volvo Safety Concept Car (SCC)

2002            RSC, Roll Stability Control

2002            ROPS, Roll-Over Protection System for SUVs (XC90)

2002            Lower cross-member at the front – protection system for oncoming cars

2002            Development of virtual “pregnant” crash-test dummy

2003            IDIS, intelligent system for driver information

2003            Patented new structure at the front reduces collision forces

2003            Bangkok’s Traffic Accident Research Centre (TARC) is inaugurated

2004            BLIS, system for information about the offset rear blind spot

2004            DMIC, door-mounted side airbag for convertibles

2005            Volvo’s co-driver-system

2005            Multi Lock, combined alcolock and lock for the seat belt and key for speed restriction (research project)

2006            ACC, Adaptive Cruise Control

2006            Personal Car Communicator (PCC)

2006            Collision warning with brake support

2006            Active Bi-Xenon headlamps

2007            Integrated two-stage child booster cushion

2007            CWAB, Collision Warning with Auto Brake

2007            Driver Alert

2007            Lane Departure Warning

2007            Alcoguard

2008            Pre-Prepared Restraints,

Volvo's three-point safety belt turns 50

On Thursday August 13, 1959, the world's first car with standard-fit three-point safety belts - a Volvo PV544 - was delivered to the Volvo dealer in the Swedish town of Kristianstad. Over the next 50 years, the V-shaped three-point safety belt saved well over one million lives.

Feed out, stretch, click and pull taut - and the risk of fatality or serious injury in a collision is cut by more than 50 percent.

To this day, the three-point safety belt remains the car's single most important safety feature. It is the most widely used and most significant safety innovation in over 120 years of automobile history.

Quite simply, the belt restrains the car's occupants in an impact and prevents them from being thrown around inside the passenger compartment or hurled out of the vehicle during more complex accident scenarios.

Nils Bohlin understood the forces at work
It was only towards the end of the 1950s that the car safety belt evolved into its current design, thanks to Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin.

There were different types of safety belts before that. Back in the 1930s, US doctors were beginning to impose demands that cars should be equipped with safety belts.

The two-point lap belt was the most common solution, but there were also different variants of the three-point safety belt. The problem was that they did not sufficiently protect their users, especially not at high speeds.

Former aviation engineer Nils Bohlin - who worked on the development of catapult seats, among other things, before moving to Volvo – had gained a good understanding of the forces generated in a collision.

The same principles to this day
The belt must absorb force in the right area - across the pelvis and chest where the body is strongest. At the same time, it must be easy to use and adjust.

The most important properties of Nils Bohlin's design were that the system consisted of a lap belt and a diagonal body belt, that the belt straps were anchored at a low attachment point beside the seat, that the belt geometry formed a "V" shape with the point directed toward the floor, and that the belt stayed in position and did not move under load. 

The very same principles apply to this day - every time you use the belt.

On the Nordic market, the Volvo PV544 and Volvo Amazon (120) were the first cars to feature this world innovation. Volvo was thus the first car maker to equip its cars as standard with three-point safety belts. The invention was patented with what is known as an open patent that is to say anyone who wanted was granted free use the design.

A giant step towards increased safety had now been taken, but the three-point safety belt still did not achieve an immediate breakthrough. It would take another few years before the vast majority of customers and the rest of the automobile industry realised the safety belt's effectiveness as a lifesaver.

Volvo survey convinced the world
In 1963, Volvo launched the three-point safety belt in the USA and on other markets. Ahead of the launch, Volvo conducted sled tests and crash tests with cars featuring various types of safety belts. The results were crystal-clear: Volvo's three-point belt gave by far the best protection to the car's occupants.

A few years later, in 1967, Volvo presented its ground-breaking "28,000 Accident Report" at a traffic safety conference in the USA. The report was based on data from all collisions involving Volvo cars in Sweden over a period of one year.

The report showed clearly that the safety belt saved lives and that it also reduced injuries by about 50-60 percent. And the world finally began to take notice.

More than a million lives saved
Today the three-point safety belt is fitted to cars the world over. Volvo introduced this feature as standard in both front and rear seats as far back as 1967.

The modern safety belt is the cornerstone of the car's interior safety system, working alongside additional features such as airbags, belt pre-tensioners and force limiters.

The belt positions itself correctly in an impact - the pre-tensioner tightens the strap across the torso. It then gives at exactly the right moment so that the body can be restrained as gently as possible. All within a few thousandths of a second.

It is difficult to give an exact figure for how many lives the safety belt has saved - there are no globally coordinated traffic safety statistics. However, it is estimated that more than a million people owe their lives[i] to the safety belt, and it has saved many times that number of people from serious injury.

Considerable potential still remains

Use of the safety belt is still the most important factor for boosting traffic safety among car occupants. In a global perspective, there is still considerable potential. Safety belt use differs immensely between different parts of the world and different countries.

The three-point safety belt has been saving lives for 50 years - and it will continue to save lives within the foreseeable future. Every percentage of increased usage makes a difference.

In the USA, it is estimated that each percentage increase in belt usage would save 270 lives a year [ii]. Studies in Europe show that another 7000 lives would be able to be saved if all EU countries had the same usage statistics as the best [iii].

And the potential is even greater in parts of Africa, Asia and South America where the number of cars is increasing very quickly.

Remember! Everyone in the car should wear the safety belt. Click! Every time.  

Footnotes:

[i] Estimate by Volvo based on general and in-house statistics on accidents and belt usage.

[ii] National Center for Statistics and Analysis (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA), Traffic Safety Facts, 2007.

[iii] Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP).

The 3-point safety belt has saved more than a million lives so far - it could save over a hundred thousand lives a year

Saving a life can be so simple: grab, stretch, click! If you are wearing a safety belt, your chances of surviving a collision improve by 50 percent. The three-point belt is and will remain the car's most vital safety feature. However, even more lives could be saved if belt usage increased.

"What makes the three-point belt unique is that it improves safety for all types of occupants, in all types of accidents, in front or rear seats. One often talks about the protective effect in head-on collisions, but the belt also helps prevent the car's occupants from being thrown out of the car in a rollover, for instance," says Hans Nyth, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre.

It is the safety belt's ability to keep the occupant in the seat that is of crucial importance. A massive 75 percent of people thrown out of cars in accidents suffer fatal injuries. All told, the belt reduces the risk of fatalities and serious injuries during collisions by about 50 percent.

The most effective lifesaver
It is impossible to put an exact figure on the number of lives the three-point belt has saved since the 1960s - there are no globally coordinated traffic-safety statistics. Estimates put the figure at just over a million lives. And countless more have avoided serious injuries thanks to the safety belt.

In Europe, the safety belt is estimated to reduce road fatalities by 40 percent every year. Within the EU in 2005, an estimated 11,700 drivers survived road accidents specifically because they were wearing safety belts. The figure for Germany alone was 2000. Had these drivers not been using the belt, the number of fatalities in Germany that year would have doubled.

Corresponding estimates for the USA in 2004 show that safety belt use saved 15,200 lives and resulted in society saving 50 billion dollars in costs.

Still considerable potential
Safety belt use differs considerably in different parts of the world. In some parts, such as the island of Sakhalin in Russia, safety belt use is as low as 3.8 percent. Highest usage rates are found in countries with high average incomes such as France, Germany, Sweden, Australia and Canada. In these countries on average 90-99 percent of front-seat passengers and 80-89 percent of rear-seat passengers wear their safety belts.

The USA has traditionally returned lower figures since that country's legislation lags behind in this area. However, the US reached a new record in 2008 with an average 83 percent of front-seat passengers using the safety belt.

In 2004 there were 620 million cars registered throughout the world, of which about 270 million were in Europe and about 202 million in the USA. By the end of 2008, this figure rose to about 800 million cars.

"The big problem in many car-intensive countries is that far too many people still choose not to use the safety belt. The belt represents by far the biggest lifesaving potential in modern traffic," adds Hans Nyth.

In the USA it is estimated that a one percent increase in belt use would save 270 lives a year. Studies in Europe show that another 7000 lives could be saved if all EU countries had the same belt usage level as the top member countries.

Therefore, there is still considerable unexploited lifesaving potential in the safety belt in industrialised countries. And there is even greater potential in parts of Asia, South America and Africa, where the number of vehicles on the road is rapidly increasing.

If belt usage in these regions approached European levels, tens of thousands more lives could be saved. This would put the global average at far more than a hundred thousand lives saved every year.

Additional efforts are required
Since the 1960s, Volvo Cars has worked hard to increase belt usage. Nils Bohlin, the inventor of the three-point safety belt, even conducted a long presentation tour coinciding with the US introduction of the three-point safety belt to convince the widest possible audience of its benefits.

In recent years, Volvo has become involved with campaigns such as "Buckle up", and has continuously made the belt more effective and convenient to use. Despite this, additional efforts are still required from both public authorities and private companies to achieve high safety belt usage throughout the world.

Ways of increasing safety belt usage
More convenient belts and the introduction of seat belt reminders have proven to be effective methods. But legislation, fines, campaigns and inspections are still the most effective means increase safety belt usage.

Legislation requiring all cars to be equipped with safety belts was slowly introduced in the 1960s. However, it was not until 1971 that the first laws requiring belt usage were enacted. That was in the state of Victoria in Australia, and traffic fatalities dropped by 18 percent in the first year.

Despite the excellent results, it took another few years before the majority of European countries followed suit, with the USA only joining in during the past few years. There is still no legislation requiring rear safety belt use in many parts of the world, something that has a negative impact on both use of the belt and rear passenger protection.

Countries with low belt usage can, however, catch up quickly - Costa Rica is a good example. In 2003-2004 Costa Rica successfully coordinated legislation and public-awareness campaigns and safety belt usage rose from 24 to 82 percent during the year of the campaign.

In South Korea, safety-belt campaigns in conjunction with a nationwide police crackdown, as well as significantly raised fines, led to a dramatic increase in safety belt usage - from 23 percent to 98 percent in less than a year.

Myths about the belt
So why does everyone not use the belt if its effects are so good? One reason is that perceptions and prejudices about the belt still live on: that it could be dangerous to wear a belt if you get stuck upside-down in a car, that it crushes your clothes, that it is uncomfortable, that the steering wheel or airbag will provide sufficient protection and so on.

The results over the past fifty years, however, speak for themselves. Wearing a safety belt reduces the risk of injury - for everyone and at all speeds (despite the little crease you might get in your shirt or blouse).

The safety belt is, not least, vital in collisions at low speeds in city traffic - where most road accidents occur. The forces involved at low speeds are a lot higher than you might believe. Colliding at 50 kilometres an hour corresponds to falling from the third floor of a building. A person who is forewarned can brace himself for an impact of up to about 7 kilometres an hour. That is why the safety belt should always be used. The airbag is an excellent supplement, but it is just that - a supplement. It can never replace the safety belt.
 
How the belt should be positioned
For optimum safety, it is vital that the belt is positioned correctly. The diagonal strap should be positioned across the chest, as close to the neck as possible. Placing the belt correctly ensures the shoulder and chest absorb most of the force. The lower strap should be positioned across the hipbone down towards the thighs, not across the stomach. The belt should be pulled tight after being buckled. The closer it is to the body, the better the protection it offers. The belt should not be twisted or damaged.

Pregnant women should also wear a safety belt, even towards the end of their pregnancy. The belt should be placed tight against the shoulder with the diagonal section between the breasts and the side of the stomach. The hip section should lie flat against the side of the thigh and as low as possible below the stomach - it should never be allowed to slide up.

New dummy enhances active safety

Volvo Cars is proud to introduce Bob – the company's newest addition to the crash test dummy family who has been specifically developed to test its cars' active safety systems.

Bob is a man of medium height and his work differs somewhat from that of the rest of the dummies in the family - Bob never gets to sit in a car during a collision. Instead, he's the one who risks being run over.

Bob may decide to appear from behind a parked car or around a corner. This is all done by suspending the dummy from a crane that can propel him into the driver's field of vision.

This allows researchers to simulate realistic and frequently occurring traffic scenarios.

Bob's erratic behaviour poses a challenge to Volvo's most recent active safety system, which features both radar and cameras. The new technology has the task of first registering pedestrians who suddenly dart into the car's path, then braking the vehicle if the driver does not respond in time.

Bob has been designed to resemble the widest range of pedestrian-like subjects to put the car's safety systems to the test.

The aim is to reduce or entirely avoid collisions with pedestrians.

Intelligent cars avoid accidents

The aim with tomorrow's cars is, quite simply, that they be able to avoid accidents. The core of Volvo's 2020 Vision is to build cars so safe as to completely eliminate the risk of fatal or serious injuries. And every advance in Volvo's safety systems is another step closer to this goal.

Many of today's cars are already so intelligent that they alert the driver or even step in and brake the car to avoid an accident. But drowsy drivers cause many accidents on roads the world over. Sometimes it may be difficult to ascertain if it is a tired driver who has caused an accident, so the true extent of the problem is largely hidden. What is clear, however, is that drowsy drivers are a large - and global - traffic-safety problem.

According to the American NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), about 100,000 accidents are caused in the USA alone by drivers falling asleep behind the wheel. As a result of these accidents, about 1500 drivers and passengers are killed and 70,000 are injured.

The situation in Europe is similar. German insurance organisation GDV's statistics reveal that about 25 percent of all fatal autobahn accidents are caused by tired or drowsy drivers.

Accidents outside cities more common
Sleep-related accidents occur more often outside cities, and just over 70 percent of all sleep-related accidents take place on roads where the speed limit is between 70 and 110 kilometres an hour (Anna Anlund, VTI, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, in Sweden).

Volvo Cars has developed systems that can alert a drowsy driver long before he or she dozes off behind the wheel. The system is called Driver Alert Control and it works by judging whether the car is being driven in a controlled manner by monitoring how the vehicle moves between the painted road markings.

Driver Alert Control is aimed primarily at situations where the danger of losing concentration is biggest and where an accident would have serious consequences, such as a straight and monotonous stretch of road where the driver feels relaxed and the risk of dozing off increases.

Another common cause of accidents is distraction - a mobile phone may ring or the driver may drop something in the car and start looking for it. According to the NHTSA, distracted drivers are the cause of 40 percent of all run-off-road accidents.

Run-off-road accidents often fatal
Run-offs account for just over 20 percent of all accidents and almost 40 percent of all fatal accidents, according to US statistics (NTHTSA, 2003). Statistics from other countries also show that run-offs figure heavily in serious accidents.

In order to reduce the risk of run-off-road accidents Volvo has developed a system known as Lane Departure Warning that monitors the road via a camera fitted below the rear-view mirror. If a wheel accidentally strays beyond a lane marker, a warning signal automatically alerts the driver to respond.

Another system that can help reduce run-off-road accidents is Collision Avoidance By Auto Steering, which monitors oncoming traffic with the help of both cameras and radar. If the driver does not respond to the warning signal, the system boosts steering force to help bring the car back to its original lane.

Frontal collisions are difficult accident scenarios that often lead to very serious consequences. In Germany, frontal collisions account for 5 percent of all accidents and a massive 20 percent of all fatal accidents.

Even when it comes to frontal collisions, Emergency Lane Assist can help reduce their frequency. This technology will be found in forthcoming Volvo models.

Rear-end collisions are common
Rear-end collisions are a common occurrence and account for 29 percent of all car accidents reported to the police in the USA. In about half of all rear-end collisions, the driver has not braked at all prior to impact.

These accidents, which often take place at low speeds, do not always lead to serious injuries but they can give rise to neck injuries which may be long-lasting and result in major costs to society in general. Here a new Volvo system known as City Safety, which is active up to 30 km/h, can help avoid or reduce the consequences of rear-end collisions.

City Safety helps avoid or reduce the consequences of a collision at low speed by automatically braking the car and at the same time restricting the throttle. In addition, the brake lights are activated to warn following traffic. City Safety is already fitted as standard on the new Volvo XC60.

The system is programmed to respond to vehicles in front that are either stationary or moving in the same direction.

Based on the car's own speed and gap between the vehicle in front, the system calculates the braking speed needed to avoid a collision. If the calculated braking force exceeds a given level without the driver reacting, the danger of a collision is regarded as imminent and the system automatically steps in.

Dangerous for Japanese pedestrians
One of the more common causes of accidents in our cities is pedestrians stepping straight out into the roadway. In the USA, more than 11 percent of all traffic fatalities are pedestrians. In Japan, this scenario accounts for about 30 percent of all fatal accidents.

Volvo Cars is currently working on advanced new technology to reduce or entirely avoid collisions with pedestrians in urban environments. This new approach utilises both radar and camera technology.

The aim is to identify pedestrians and alert the driver so that he or she can take the necessary action to avoid an accident. If the driver does not react in time, the system automatically brakes the car.