For over seventy years Volvo has maintained a reputation as one of the safest vehicles on the road and that didn't happen by accident. Safety has always been a priority at Volvo and over the years they have invested heavily in mitigating damage through design and avoiding accidents all together. That tradition and commitment, continues with the introduction of new safety technologies and accident avoidance systems.
Development of those technologies and systems sprang from the Volvo Cars Safety Centre, a major NASA like facility that tests every type of conceivable accident to develop countermeasures. The Centre is staffed with professionals from a broad range of disciplines who combine their knowledge to accomplish a single goal…save lives.
What does Volvo get out of investing so much in safety (aside from an excellent reputation)? They get stories from owners about how their Volvos saved their lives or the lives of their family. In fact there is even a "Volvo Saved My Life" club formed by grateful owners who have learned firsthand the value automotive safety.
This attention to safety is one of the reasons that Volvo of Bonita Springs is so proud to represent the brand. We know that our customers from Cape Coral to Naples are driving one of the safest vehicles available and we are gratified that we are contributing to their personal safety and the safety of their families.
Top New Volvo Safety Features
In the beginning it was all about building a car that could take a hit without injuring the passengers. While safety design is still an important part of the overall design the emphasis today is on building an intelligent automobile that will avoid accidents. The new "City Safe" umbrella of safety devices and technology are simply amazing.
Here is a short list of new Volvo safety features:
- Adaptive cruise control. Using radar the cruise control will maintain a speed appropriate interval with the vehicle in front of you. When coupled with brake assist it will sound an alarm if there is a rapid change in interval and apply the brakes automatically.
- Lane keeping. The Volvo system can now identify the edge of the road not just the white lines. If the vehicle starts to drift out of lane the system applies more torque to the appropriate wheel and nudges the car back into the center.
- Blind Spot alarm. There is always a blind spot. Thanks to a pair of rear facing cameras Volvo can now detect if there is traffic in that blind spot and sound an alarm if you signal (or not) a lane change.
- Night vision. This system allows the driver to quickly identify the location of pedestrians, cyclists and animals in the dark reducing the chances of a night time accident.
- Automatic headlights. Dusk and dawn are actually a very dangerous times to drive because vehicles tend to blend in with the gray light. Volvo's automated headlights will activate when light becomes dim and also adjust the high beams giving you maximum visibility without causing glare to oncoming traffic.
Given the number of seasonal drivers that we experience between Fort Myers and Naples who may or may not know where they are going, having an accident avoidance system onboard is particularly important. Why not visit us at Volvo of Bonita Springs and we will be happy to demonstrate how these life saving features work.
Written By: Joe Parisi