Volvo's Pedestrian Protection Technology wins Global Award

Volvo Car Group has been awarded with the 2013 Global NCAP Innovation award on their work on pedestrian protection. Prof. Lotta Jakobsson, Senior Technical Specialist Safety at Volvo Cars Safety Centre, received the prize at the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) Conference in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. At the ESV Conference, Prof. Lotta Jakobsson held a presentation about Volvo Cars' outstanding achievements within pedestrian protection. She presented a paper on the Pedestrian Airbag Technology in the new Volvo V40. "The purpose of the world's first airbag for pedestrians is to help protect these vulnerable road users in certain situations when they impact the bonnet and the area around the windscreen, where there may be a risk of serious injuries" said Prof. Lotta Jakobsson at the conference.

OneShift Editorial Team

31 May 2013

Statistics show that in China, 25% of traffic fatalities are pedestrians. In Europe the figure is 14% and in the USA 12%. A larger number of pedestrians are injured. Volvo Cars offset the statistics by launching Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake. The system can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at speeds of up to 35km/h if the driver does not respond in time; while at higher speeds, the focus is on reducing the car's speed as much as possible before collision.

In order to alleviate the consequences in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, the Volvo V40 launched in 2012 comes equipped with the world's first Pedestrian Airbag Technology. In the front of the car, seven sensors are embedded to transmit signals to a control unit. When the car comes into contact with an object, the control unit evaluates the signals and if it registers a human-like leg form, the pedestrian airbag is deployed.

The bonnet hinges are equipped with pyrotechnical release mechanisms which, when the system is activated, pull out a pin and release the rear of the bonnet. At the same time, the airbag is inflated. During the inflation sequence, the airbag raises the bonnet. It is lifted ten centimeters and stays in the raised position.

The added gap between the bonnet and the hard components in the engine compartment gives space for the bonnet to deform, absorbing energy and dampening the impact of the pedestrian's head and chest.

In 2012, the new Volvo V40 achieved a five-star Euro NCAP rating and won the Euro NCAP Best in Class in the Small Family class - with the best overall result ever recorded by the organization. The V40 scored an all-time high in the pedestrian evaluation by attaining 88 per cent of the total score.

Credits: Oneshift News Team