Safety Features Offered in the 2007 Volvo S80
While many modern luxury cars rely on aesthetically pleasing, powerful exteriors to appeal to buyers, Volvo has always preferred to concentrate on in-car technologies.
It has been able to carve out a niche of producing cars that possess superior functionality, handling and safety. The Volvo S80 exemplifies the Volvo mantra of manufacturing modern cars.
With regards to the designing of safety systems, Volvo has adopted a non-intrusive approach. The objective is to ensure maximum safety for the driver with minimum interruption to the driving experience. All the major safety systems provide seamless transitions between autonomous and human control. The following is an overview of the safety systems incorporated into the Volvo S80.
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) ACC employs a forward-scanning radar to monitor traffic ahead. It calculates the time interval between your car and the vehicle in front. Also included is a limited braking capacity that allows the car to autonomously maintain a selected cruising speed and at the same time slow down or speed up to match the speed of the vehicle in front.
Collision warning - The information gathered by the ACC system is utilized by a complimentary collision warning system. Taking the driver's reaction time into consideration, the system calculates the time needed for successfully avoiding a collision. During an imminent collision, an alert system in the form of flashing lights and an audible alarm is triggered off to warn the driver. Sensitivity of the system can be adjusted according to the preferences of the driver.
Brake support - This system works together with the collision warning system to prevent a collision. In the event of imminent collision, the brakes are pre-applied to enable the driver to apply brakes with less effort. This is especially important as studies have shown that most drivers do not apply enough brake pressure during emergency braking.
Blind spot information system (BLIS) Volvo is a pioneer in this technology. Using rear-facing digital cameras installed in the door mirrors, it monitors the traffic on either side of the car. When a vehicle is situated in the blind region, orange lights installed in the front door post would light up to warn the driver, allowing the driver to assess the situation while performing a lane change maneuver. The system is activated once the car exceeds 10 km/h and reacts to almost any type of vehicle, be it motorcycles or bicycles.
Dynamic stability and traction control (DSTC) DSTC enhances the safety of the driver as well as the driving experience. With the use of a gyroscope and steering sensors, DSTC allows for better traction of the car in difficult terrain. Traveling down steep slopes is a breeze with DSTC.
