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

  • US road safety concern
    June 18, 2021
    There is concern over a worrying trend in US road safety
  • Innovative diesel-electric bulldozer
    July 12, 2012
    With the launch of its innovative D7E diesel-electric bulldozer, Caterpillar has shaken up this traditionally conservative market Only rarely do product innovations come to market that can truly be described as groundbreaking, but Caterpillar's D7E fits that bill. To understand the giant leap that the D7E represents, it is important to recognise Caterpillar's long history in the bulldozer market, which is unmatched by any of its rivals. Caterpillar pioneered the crawler track with founder, Ben Holt, havin
  • Campaign urges UK drivers to get eye tested every 2 years
    August 5, 2013
    A new campaign is calling on UK drivers to ‘sharpen up’ their act by getting their eyesight tested every two years to ensure their vision meets legal standards and they aren't putting people in danger. The campaign by road safety charity Brake, in association with the DVLA, insurer RSA and Specsavers, comes as new research shows many drivers are failing to ensure they can see properly on every journey. A survey of 1,000 UK drivers by Brake, RSA and Specsavers finds that a quarter of drivers (26%) haven't ha
  • Electromobility in the off-highway industry
    September 14, 2020
    Electrification brings many benefits to off-road machines including zero exhaust emissions, improved efficiency and significantly reduced noise levels, so why aren’t we seeing more of them yet? Zeyd Okutan, Volvo Penta’s product manager responsible for the company’s Industrial Segment Electromobility Product Planning and Strategy, explains what direction the industry is heading in and what needs to happen before electric-powered machines become the norm