Volvo managed to make the new V60 a dynamic car, fitting the modern trend of a sport wagon, which is simply no longer a car with more loading space. Volvo seems to have focused on the dynamic, sporty features of the car. But this is only a initial presumption, since if you go behind appearances, you’ll discover a lot of care and attention given to the safety related to the V60.
Volvo V60 scores well both in active and passive safety. All improvements on safety are impressive and worth mentioning. V60 is fitted with cameras, a laser sensor and a radar connected to a central unit trained to detect and recognize possible collisions.
Volvo V60 collision detection systems
Technological advance made possible of the Collision Warning with Auto Brake system even further. The enhanced resolution of the new camera along with the radar system allowed the development of Pedestrian Detection technology.
Pedestrian Detection
Pedestrian Detection can detect a person in front of the car and this system can also stop the car completely if the driver fails to react and stop the car himself. However this system is effective at speeds up to 35 km/h. In case such a situation would occur at higher speeds the new V60 can slow down the car with up to 25 km/h, reducing the severity of the collision.
How Pedestrian Detection system works?
At a first view the principle looks simple, but in depths things get really complicated. In essence the radar placed in the grill of the V60 scans the area ahead of the car. The radar is capable to detect both vehicles and people, and due to the wide range of the radar, people that are approaching the road are also detected. If it detects an object, the information is sent to the central control unit. Here, the information is checked against the image received from the camera placed at the back of the rear view mirror, and the system must decide if the detected object is a pedestrian, analyze the movement patterns and decide if a dangerous situation is about to occur. If, indeed, the worse is about to happen, the driver is alerted by a warning sound and an image resembling a braking light projected on the windscreen via the head up display. The system also prepares the brakes for an emergency braking in the case the driver would not react. If this happens full braking power is released into the braking system to completely stop the car and avoid the danger.
You should know that this system have been tested and refined over a period of five years, training the computer to learn movement patterns and to recognize pedestrians in different traffic conditions, countries and cultures.
However, the camera has some limitations as its vision might be influenced by light intensity, darkness or low visibility weather.
By using the same principles the car can also avoid low speed collisions with other cars.
City Safety
City Safety is a collision detection and prevention system offered as standard for the new Volvo V60. This one works somehow similar to the previous system we described but its role is to avoid hitting another car from behind at speeds up to 30 km/h. A very useful system in heavy traffic situation when the car in front might brake unexpectedly. A laser sensor monitors the traffic ahead and if the car ahead slows down or stops suddenly a collision can be avoided by the City Safety system with the condition that the difference between the speeds of the two cars to be of 15 km/h maximum. If this speed difference is higher than 15 km/h but lower than 30 km/h the collision can no longer be avoided but the V60 can slow down to reduce the severity of the impact.
Rollover Protection System
Also known as ROPS this is another standard safety feature for Volvo V60 which deploys both the inflatable curtains and the belt pre tensioners in the case the car would roll over.
Collision safety features
Volvo V60 has a front body made of four types of high strength steel acting differently in case of an impact. Volvo chose a transversal mounting solution for the V60 which allows more deformation space in case of an accident and also more energy to be absorbed. Another benefit consists in the fact that in case a frontal collision would occur the chance for the passenger compartment to be affected is diminished.
All V60 seats have belt pre tensioners while the PRS system adjusts the airbags and the load limiters of the safety belts according to the force of the collision.
Volvo V60 also features a further improved SIPS – Side Impact Protection System, lateral airbags mounted on the exterior of the seats, inflatable curtains and a neck protection system.
Child Safety
Volvo V60 can be fitted with special back seats featuring integrated booster cushions with two stages adjustable for two different heights optimizing protection for children sitting in the rear.
Other V60 optional driver assistance and safety systems
Driver Alert Control monitors the car’s trajectory within a lane and alerts the driver in case of an accidental, unwanted lane change. If you try to change lanes without using the light indicators, another system called Lane Departure Warning can remind you how to behave.
Blind Spot Information System might be just another life savior since it is capable to detect cars placed in the blind spot and alert the driver by turning on lamps inside the car placed at the level of the door mirrors on both sides of the car.
Adaptive Cruise Control can maintain a desired cruising speed. This way the driver can look at the road and not at the speedometer, while the car will not exceed the set speed limit.
Active Xenon Lights is a system that allows the driver to have good visibility at night on twisting roads by turning the headlights in the direction the car is driven.
