Very few of us are aware of the fact that the Swedish carmaker, Volvo, has always focused on providing a safe ride for the passengers of its vehicles. Being simple yet intuitive is the forte of Volvo and its view of luxury is very much different from its peers. Making things easy is complicated and it requires confidence to remove rather than to add but Volvo has overcome every such challenge to make the already complicated life simple.

Volvo is a Latin word which means “I spin”, “I twist” but with time the meaning has evolved to be “I roll”.

Right from its inception, Volvo has worked towards 3 core values – care for the environment, quality and safety. This isn’t new with Volvo as time has proved that the company has made many innovations in the area of safety for its passengers.

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“In Sweden, care for people is a priority. Everyone is important – all life is important – and that has always carried through naturally into Volvo’s ethos of car making. It’s this care for the wellbeing of driver, passengers and everyone around the car that has always defined Volvo. And always will.” – Volvo Cars

Volvo has claimed that by 2020 it will provide “DEATHPROOF” cars and when it comes from Volvo, it’s not hard to believe. Nonetheless, according to the last survey conducted by IIHS on the 2011 year models, out of the 9 cars that have ‘Zero Driver Deaths’, Volvo XC90 4WD is among the list.

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Let’s check out what in the history makes the ground for the company’s claim to provide ‘DEATHPROOF’ cars in next 3 years:

• Addressing Safety Issues– Volvo is among the first automakers, which majorly focus on the safety of the passengers in their vehicles. In the year 1954, Volvo came up with a slogan –We did not invent the car, but we set the safety standards – and this slogan became the important pillar of this Swedish carmaker’s corporate philosophy.
• 5-years Insurance – Back in 1950s, the company was enjoying a good financial status in the market and it was so confident of its technologies that it started giving 5-years insurance in case of a car crash on all its vehicles. No other carmaker in the history of automobile industry made such huge promise. But later, Volvo bade goodbye to this practice.

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It was also the first model to have v-shaped separate circuit brake system that works even when one of the circuits shuts down.

• 2-point Safety Belt – The year 1957 proved to be the revolutionary year not only for the Swedish automaker but for the entire automobile industry. Taking the pledge to improve the safety measures for its passengers, Volvo introduced the 2-point safety belt for the driver and front passengers in all of its cars. The next year, the company stated to include this safety measure for the rear passengers as well.
• 3-point Safety Belt – Volvo didn’t stop there! One of its company’s engineers, Nils Bolin came out with another innovative product to enhance the safety of the passengers and this is none other than the 3-point safety belt, which we are using till date. Volvo emerged out to be the first carmaker to introduce this safety feature as standard equipment in all of its four wheelers.
• Brake Booster – In the year 1965, Volvo came out with another innovative invention of the brake booster. Volvo Amazon was the first model to receive this feature. In fact, the same model marks the starting of medical experts’ views for the front seats to support a healthy posture of the driver as well as the passenger seated in front. According to many medical practitioners, a healthy posture is among other important factors that work towards vehicle’s safety.
• V-shaped Separate Circuit Braking System – Another product from the stable of this Swedish automaker, Volvo 144, took the safety measure to next level. This was the first model to have 4-wheel disc brakes, all new locks on 3-point seat belts and a collapsible steering column.The front and the back of the vehicle were made out of crushable energy-absorbing parts to lower down the impact of the collision on the passengers and driver.

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• Lambda Sond – It is an oxygen sensor, which is a catalytic converter technology that helps in reducing the discharge of pollutants by up to 90%. This electronic device measures the oxygen’s proportion in a liquid/gas in an automobile to adjust the air-fuel ratio in order to let the catalytic converters work optimally. The company’s engineers presented this sensor along with an exhaust catalyst in 1976.
• Fog Lights– Volvo also became the first automobile company to use front and rear fog lights in its cars in 1987.

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• Intro of AIRBAGS – The same year, Volvo worked towards using safety belts with pre-tensioner to ensure better safety of its passengers. However, the major innovation by Volvo that proved to be the milestone for the automotive world was the introduction of airbags.
• Safest Cars of the World – Volvo hasn’t stopped there as the company is continuously working to make its cars the safest vehicles on the planet earth. During the last few years, the company has brought some noteworthy and revolutionary safety measures at the same time that have made the foundation of the company stronger in the market. A detection system for cyclists and pedestrians that automatically brings the vehicle to a full stop and airbags for pedestrians are among the few exemplary innovations by Volvo in the safety area.

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Apart from this, the company has also introduced Alcolock system that prevents the driver from driving the vehicle when the latter is under the influence of alcohol.

• DEATHPROOF Cars by 2020 – Now the company is claiming or rather promising to bring DEATHPROOF cars by 2020, which means if you are driving in a Volvo car or SUV, you will not die or seriously injured unless you are a suicidal maniac. Volvo XC90 has already proved to be a DEATHPROOF car as out of 111,610 exposures to accidents in America, none of the time the Volvo driver succumbed to his/her injuries.

So, what’s your take on the recent pledge by Volvo? Do share your opinions and feedbacks in the comment section below.