since 1976
since 1976
It was 1959 when Volvo Cars and Nils Bohlin introduced the world's single most important vehicle safety device and waived the patent rights to allow any car manufacturer to adopt it.
A design as critical as it was intelligent, the three-point seatbelt has since saved the lives of an estimated one million people and reduced or prevented injuries for millions more. As this invention continues to stand the test of time, it is worth noting that automotive safety has significantly evolved since introducing many more safety innovations, a lot of which were also pioneered by Volvo Cars.
Volvo Cars remains the leader in automotive safety, consistently pushing boundaries to introduce features that align with their vision that no one should be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo car. Today, Volvo Cars goes one step further by aiming for zero collisions. In meeting this ambitious vision, Volvo Cars has identified three “gaps to zero” utilising technology and data on human behaviour:
>The first challenge is speeding, which is both prevalent and a major contributor to road fatalities. Volvo Cars has already capped the maximum speed of its cars to 180 km/h.
>The next issue is intoxication. While driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal, it remains one of the prime reasons for traffic injuries and fatalities.
>The final gap is distraction. When a driver is distracted by their mobile phones, fatigue or other occupants, they are not fully engaged in driving safely.
With this new vision comes a deeper commitment to address the last two gaps. Volvo Cars is developing a two-camera system safety feature – the Driver Understanding System – which can detect if the driver is distracted, sleepy or even intoxicated and will activate a protective shield and take appropriate countermeasures, from visual and audible warnings to reducing speed and braking to a complete stop at the side of the road.
Experience Peace of Mind with Volvo
While Volvo continues to innovate automotive safety, every current Volvo car owner has a different personal story for what Volvo’s focus on safety means to them. One such enthusiast is Alvin Geoffrey Alphonso, CEO of Port Klang Cruise Terminal, whose admiration for Volvo cars began when he first laid his eyes upon a Volvo P1800 that belonged to his relative. A visit to a Volvo showroom in the early 90s with his late father further fuelled his fascination with Volvo cars.
Alvin's dream of owning a Volvo became a reality when he acquired his first Volvo, the V40, whose design was inspired by his first love – the iconic Volvo P1800. His enthusiasm for the brand deepened with his purchase of the latest-generation Volvo XC90 Recharge. For Alvin, he is most impressed by the brand’s continued improvement of active safety features on top of its solid foundation of passive safety.
Alvin shares: "Safety is a crucial part of my industry, and a split second of misjudgement can result in an accident. Volvo’s active safety features, offered as standard since my previous V40, are a main deciding factor when I choose a car because you never know when you need it – you only regret it when it’s not there. The lane departure warning in particular has been a lifesaver, especially after a long day where my focus on the road is reduced."
We also caught up with Adrian Kuah, a digital product manager in a major mobile telecommunications company, who takes pride in owning a Volvo XC40 Recharge. Adrian was initially drawn to the Volvo XC40's boyish charm and performance but soon grew to appreciate Volvo's semi-autonomous functionality and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).
Adrian adds: “Although I used to be the person who wanted friends to pick me up instead of driving myself, that has changed since owning the Volvo XC40 Recharge. These days when I drive in traffic, I’m in autopilot most of the time and enjoying the ride because I have a co-pilot that assists me. When you talk about trust and what Volvo represents, it’s always about safety, which is something I can’t live without. Moreover, I believe that safety for Volvo is not just for the driver and passengers but also for the people on the outside. For example, my car detects people or objects while reversing and will apply brakes if I don’t do it in time.
Empowering Volvo Drivers to Make a Change
To further experience Volvo’s almost 100 years of safety innovations right at your fingertips, Volvo Car Malaysia will host its inaugural Volvo Safety Driving Experience at the iconic Sungai Best Airport – Malaysia’s first airstrip on 2nd and 3rd March 2024. This experience is open to both for Volvo car owners and non-owners. Slots are limited and are available on a first-come, first served basis.
For more information on the Volvo Safety Driving Experience event, please visit https://safetydrive.volvocarmalaysia.com/ or follow Volvo Car Malaysia on Facebook http://bit.ly/VolvoMY-FB and Instagram at http://bit.ly/VolvoMY-IG.
