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