Volvo Car Corporation still leads airbag development after 25 life-saving years

Volvo was first with both the seat-mounted side airbag and the Inflatable Curtain (IC) - and in 2012 the technology's 25th anniversary was celebrated with the introduction of the groundbreaking pedestrian airbag in the all-new Volvo V40.

[B] Standard feature[/B]
The airbag has been a standard feature in all cars for several years, but in the early days both the technology and its reliability created intense debate. At that time, many of these anxieties were justified. The use of sophisticated radar and cameras in recent cars paves the way for the possibility of activating protective safety systems even before the impact if necessary.

[B] Co-operation with the safety belt [/B]
The airbag was quickly recognised by many observers as the best solution and some even believed that it even would replace the three-point safety belt that was invented by Volvo Car Corporation back in 1959. However, Volvo successfully argued that the best safety result would be achieved by co-operation between the safety belt system and airbag technology.

[B] World-firsts in side impact protection[/B]
In the early 1990s, the airbag became standard equipment in the Volvo 850. In 1994, Volvo Car Corporation took the technology further by introducing a side airbag that is integrated in the seat backrest, ready to help protect the chest in a side impact.

[B] Extended Inflatable Curtain[/B]
The IC is designed to enhance head protection for both front and outer rear seat occupants in a side impact. In some car models, it is also helps protect the occupants in a rollover situation.

The roof-mounted version was introduced when the new Volvo S80 was launched in 1998 and is a standard feature in all Volvo models except the C70. Instead, the convertible Volvo C70 is equipped with door-mounted inflatable curtains that are deployed upwards in a side collision and remain inflated to help provide protection if the car rolls over. Volvo has taken this technology another step further by extending the curtain to also provide enhanced protection in offset collisions and for children in the rear seat.

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