Georgia Injury Law Blog
Volvo Announces Safety Goal for 2020 – Accident-Free Cars
Swedish automaker Volvo is based in a country where the transportation department boasts of the lofty goal that no person should be killed or injured using its road transport system. Volvo has now taken that one step further and announced its goal for 2020 – No one should be seriously injured or killed in a Volvo.
As the New York Times Wheels Blog reports, Volvo’s announcement comes just in time for the release of its Volvo S60 in the country in 2009. The car features a new accident prevention system that includes crash warnings with full auto braking and pedestrian detection. According to the automaker, the car is configured to monitor the road using radar and a camera placed inside next to the rear view mirror. The radar detects objects and measures how far the car is from the object, while the camera simultaneously determines what kind of objects these are. If there is a high likelihood of an accident, the driver will see a flashing warning light, and hear an audible warning. However, if the driver fails to slam on the brakes, the computerized braking system will automatically apply the brakes to bring the car to a stop and prevent an accident. While the Volvo XC60, now on the roads, also comes with a collision warning system, it comes with about half of the braking power that the new S-60 has. Volvo has made use of sensor technologies to engage complete braking power.
Make what you will of this ambitious goal, but as Atlanta personal injury lawyers, we are very excited about the target that the automaker has set for itself. As the Wheels blog says, all the collision warning systems in the world will not prevent a truck from smashing into your vehicle, causing serious injuries or fatalities. Educating motorists, and setting stronger punishments for safety rule violations go a long way in preventing accidents. However, it’s a fact that nationwide, and in Georgia, we have been seeing a decline in the rates of accident fatalities. Safer automobiles have played a big part in bringing down these rates.
We need to set high safety goals in order to continue to see this kind of decline in fatality rates. Whether Volvo can truly live up to its promise of no one being killed or seriously injured in a Volvo is up for debate, but automakers must be encouraged to set higher standards to develop safer vehicles.