Volvo’s traffic safety award
April 2008
Volvo Cars' in-house developed technology for avoiding low-speed collisions - has received the American "Traffic Safety
Achievement Award" at this year's World Traffic Safety Symposium in New York.
"City Safety is yet another example of Volvo's aim to utilise real world traffic situations to develop solutions to
prevent accidents. It is extremely gratifying that we are now being acknowledged with this prestigious award," says
Jonas Ekmark, head of preventive safety at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre.
At this year's World Traffic Safety Symposium held at the New York International Auto show, a panel consisting of
traffic safety specialists from institutions such as the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) reward various developments that reduce the number of injuries and fatalities on American
roads.
Volvo's safety feature, City Safety, made a huge impression on the jury members owing to its ability to prevent or
lessen the severity of collisions at low speeds, thus reducing the risk of personal injuries and damage to vehicles.
Volvo will be the world's first car manufacturer to install City Safety as standard equipment in a vehicle, when it is
launched in the XC60 in Europe later this year. The XC60 is due in New Zealand early next year. Approximately 75% of all
collisions are at speeds of less than 30 km/h. In 50 percent of cases the driver does not even brake before the
collision usually because of insufficient concentration.
If the vehicle in front brakes suddenly and City Safety assesses that a collision is imminent, the brakes are prepared
for action. If the driver does not take action, the car is braked automatically.
At speeds less than 15 km/h City Safety can entirely avoid accidents, at speeds between 17 - 30 km/h the system applies
brake force to reduce vehicle speed and help reduce occupant injuries and vehicle damage.
"With City Safety, we hope to eliminate whiplash injuries, to people in both vehicles involved in typical city driving
low speed accidents along with eliminating vehicle body damages," states Ekmark. "Even by just reducing vehicle speed,
this system will help to reduce the consequences of low speed impacts.”
“The potential for reducing the risk of both personal injuries and car bodywork damage makes City Safety highly
interesting from an insurance perspective. Volvo Cars is currently involved in negotiations with several insurance
companies in Europe who are considering an insurance premium discount of up to 30 percent for cars equipped with City
Safety.”
For more information on City Safety:
https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/enhanced/en-gb/Media/Preview.aspx?mediaid=14564
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