| The foremost auto brand that comes to mind | | | | already installed in a vehicle. It is |
| when talking about safe car is Volvo. The | | | | possible, of course, that the vibration of a |
| Swedish car manufacturer has been at the | | | | car or intense heat during some driving |
| forefront in the development of safety | | | | conditions, the explosive charge can explode |
| features for automotive application. Today, | | | | and cause accidents instead of protecting the |
| the company is still being considered as the | | | | driver. |
| world's leader in safe cars. Numerous safety | | | | |
| features have been developed by the company | | | | In the United States, the use of the airbag |
| and one of which is the airbag. | | | | was initially used to replace seatbelts. |
| | | | Later on though, airbags were used as |
| This year marks the 20th year that Volvo has | | | | complementing safety features to seatbelts. |
| been using airbags on their mass-produced | | | | |
| vehicles. The airbag is considered as one of | | | | "More crash bags will not necessarily improve |
| the most vital safety features of any car. | | | | the overall safety level; the crash bag is |
| The device protects the passengers and driver | | | | part of a systematic approach where the car's |
| from severe injuries or even death in the | | | | structure, seat belts and crash bags interact |
| unfortunate event of a crash. | | | | to ensure optimum absorption of the impact |
| | | | forces in a crash," says Johansson. |
| But the acceptance of airbags in its early | | | | |
| stages is lesser than today. There have been | | | | 1994 was the year when the world saw Volvo |
| questions as to the effectiveness of the | | | | introducing the first crash bag designed to |
| device to protect a driver from colliding | | | | protect vehicle occupants in cases of side |
| with the steering wheel in cases of rear and | | | | impacts. "We made the side crash bag a part |
| front collision. | | | | of our patented side impact protection |
| | | | system," says Johansson. "It took other |
| Volvo's Interior Product Development head | | | | automakers a couple of years to catch up," he |
| Lennart Johansson explains the complexity of | | | | added. |
| an airbag. "Getting a crash bag to deploy is | | | | |
| not a problem but to make it deploy at | | | | In 1998, Volvo once again revolutionized the |
| exactly the right moment is." | | | | use of crash bags by offering the first |
| | | | inflatable side curtain air bags on the |
| While it was only 20 years ago that Volvo | | | | flagship S80. This safety feature is designed |
| used the first airbag on their vehicle, the | | | | to protect the head of vehicle occupants in |
| device was already conceived in the 1950s. | | | | cases of side collision. Recently, this |
| Unfortunately though, the patented device | | | | safety feature is integrated in the new Volvo |
| requires the driver to press a button to | | | | XC70. The side curtain airbags also |
| activate the airbag. Needless to say, the | | | | complement Volvo V70 parts and other safety |
| device is next to useless in protecting a | | | | features in the V70. |
| driver in case of high-speed crashes. | | | | |
| | | | "Crash bag performance has been improved |
| Another problem faced by the use of airbags | | | | significantly. Today's crash bags are more |
| is how it is inflated. In its early stages, | | | | adapted to the collision sequence and how |
| explosive charges used in inflating the | | | | occupants are moved by impact forces," says |
| airbag are questioned for its safety. One | | | | Johansson. "Twenty years down the road, crash |
| major concern is how these explosive charges | | | | bag technology is a vital part of our aim to |
| are handled in the assembly facilities. | | | | build the world's safest cars. |
| Another concern is its relative safety when | | | | |