Skip to main content

Safety system

Carmaker Volvo is well known for the safety features it fits to its vehicles. However, one of the latest failed spectacularly at a recent demonstration in front of the motoring press. The demonstration was supposed to show how the automatic braking system ensures that the new Volvo models will be able to reduce the risk of accidents. The car was driven at the rear of a truck and was supposed to come to an emergency stop but instead ploughed straight into the vehicle, resulting in wry smirks amongst the asse
February 22, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Carmaker Volvo is well known for the safety features it fits to its vehicles. However, one of the latest failed spectacularly at a recent demonstration in front of the motoring press. The demonstration was supposed to show how the automatic braking system ensures that the new Volvo models will be able to reduce the risk of accidents. The car was driven at the rear of a truck and was supposed to come to an emergency stop but instead ploughed straight into the vehicle, resulting in wry smirks amongst the assembled press. The fault was blamed on a flat battery that foiled the vehicle's sophisticated electronics. The car, Volvo's new S60 model, is now available. Whether or not new owners will find the automatic braking system more reliable, remains to be seen.

Related Content

  • Innovative earthmoving machines now coming to market
    October 14, 2015
    Innovation in earthmoving machines will help users reduce running costs while boosting productivity - Mike Woof writes. The earthmoving equipment market is hotly contested and is one in which manufacturers compete hard to introduce machines with working advantages over rival models. This has fuelled strong competition in terms of machine performance and quality over the years, resulting in the development of high-performance equipment that is also reliable and long lasting. This is particularly true of the
  • Increased output, productive ADTs and excavators
    February 29, 2012
    Productive performers provide increased output for customers in the loading and hauling sector of the earthmoving market - Mike Woof writes. Loading and hauling machines play key roles in earthmoving operations, with the excavator and ADT combination proving both versatile and productive. While machines such as scrapers may be more efficient in specific earthmoving applications, these do not offer the versatility of the excavator and ADT combination, reducing utilisation.
  • Smoother surfaces
    September 11, 2014
    Efficient new soil compaction machines featuring the latest technology are now coming to market – Mike Woof reports The start of 2014 has seen a major development for the construction equipment sector, with the Tier 4 Final emissions requirements at last beginning to take effect. The implications of the drive towards the introduction of low emission engine technology have been seen right across the off-highway machinery equipment industry, and the soil compaction segment is no exception.
  • Implementing road user charging
    February 14, 2012
    Oregon Department of Transportation's James Whitty spoke with Jason Barnes on the state's progress with VMT fee-based charging