Volvo is synonymous with families and safe motoring, which is why it’s unsurprising they’re the first company to come up with an external airbag designed to protect pedestrians and cyclists unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s just one of the new safety features that promises to make the all-new Volvo V40 the safest hatchback in history.
Volvo’s Pedestrian Airbag Technology will be a standard feature across the local V40 range and could well be adopted by other manufacturers, in the same way Volvo’s three-point seatbelt is now almost universally used. Volvo claims the device can save lives in 85 per cent of accidents where individuals would otherwise be killed by the impact.
It works through a series of sensors fitted to the front bumper that can detect contact between the car and a pedestrian, at which point the rear end of the bonnet rises and the airbag inflates across the lower edge of the windscreen and along the A-pillars. The airbag covers approximately one third of the windscreen, and is intended to decrease the severity of pedestrian injuries.
Thomas Broberg, Senior Safety Advisor at Volvo Car Corporation, explained: “The safety systems are intelligent and work together to make driving more pleasant and safe. They are designed to warn about threats. If necessary, they can also step in and intervene in critical situations. In some situations where the collision is unavoidable, there are safety features to help mitigate the consequences. Yet another important step toward our vision that nobody should die or suffer serious injuries in a new Volvo car by the year 2020.”
Other safety systems fitted to the Volvo V40 will include ‘City Safety’. The system now operates at speeds up to 50 km/h (up from the previous system’s 30 km/h ceiling). City Safety uses a laser mounted near the rear view mirror to scan the road ahead. If the driver fails to react when the car in front stops or slows down, the brakes are automatically applied. If the speed difference between the two cars is below 15 km/h, a crash can be avoided, while for 15-50 km/h speed differences, the speed of impact is reduced to minimise the severity of the crash.
Part of the City Safety system is ‘Pedestrian Detection’, which uses a radar unit in the car’s grille, a camera near the rear view mirror, and a central control unit. The radar detects the object while the camera determines what it is (pedestrian, vehicle, etc.). A wide detection area allows the system to detect pedestrians about to step onto the road, maximising the car’s time to react. Pedestrians 80 cm tall and above can be detected, and crashes can be avoided through full automatic braking at vehicle speeds up to 35 km/h.
At higher speeds, Volvo’s ‘Collision Warning’ system warns of impending danger, giving driver’s time to react. If they fail to do so, the system can initiate full braking power and can avoid a crash if the speed difference between the two cars is 35 km/h or less.
Another clever feature is the Road Sign Information system, which detects speed signs and ‘no overtaking’ signs and displays an image of them for the driver. The image remains visible until the next sign is detected.
A host of other features will also be offered in the new Volvo V40 range including Adaptive Cruise Control, Active High Beam, Lane Keeping Aid, Enhanced Blind Spot Information System and Driver Alert Control.
The Volvo V40 will be launched internationally in June and should be available in South Africa within the next 12 months.
