Safety
60 years. Over a million lives saved.
In 1959, Volvo gave away its 3-point seatbelt patent to the world, saving over a million lives.
Safety and driver assistance technology
IntelliSafe is designed to provide everyday peace of mind and convenience by helping you stay in full control.
IntelliSafe Standard
Volvo Cars offers one of the most high-tech safety systems as standard equipment in your new Volvo. Every new Volvo includes a host of advanced driver assistance features, from Autobrake and Steering Support to our patented safety cage.
IntelliSafe Surround
IntelliSafe Surround includes BLIS (Blind Spot Information) with steer assist, Cross Traffic Alert with brake support and Rear Collision Warning, giving you all the information and support you need to know about vehicles or objects in your vicinity.
Our vision
Volvo Cars has a vision that nobody should be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo
Since 1927, when the founders of Volvo Cars decided to focus on safety as one of the core values of the company, we have been a leader in the field. That will never change. What will change is the breadth of technologies we employ to improve your driving experience and safety.
Safer for everyone
Whether you’re a man, a woman, a child or a pedestrian, the XC90’s innovative and standard safety features were designed to help protect you. Whiplash Injury Protection System reduces whiplash risk for both women and men. Blind Spot Information System sees where you can’t. And other drivers in smaller cars are safer with our Crash Compatibility Structure.
| Explore the XC90 |
A history of innovation
Our focus on protecting and caring for people has made Volvo Cars a leader in safety, inspiring innovations such as the design and implementation of the first three-point safety belt, the first booster cushion for children, and the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) that have helped to save countless lives and prevent injuries for generations of people all over the world. These innovations are the result of Volvo Cars approach to safety – a systematic approach based on real-world situations that is unique in the car industry.
| Discover more about our heritage in safety |
High standards
IntelliSafe is what we call the standard safety equipment in all new Volvo cars. This high level of standard safety on all new Volvo cars is a vital element in helping us to achieve our safety vision of reducing exposure to safety conflicts on all vehicles. Learn more about some of the key features and how they contribute towards our Vision 2020.
City Safety
City Safety helps to protect people inside and outside the car by spotting potential danger and helping you avoid it. Volvo Cars was the first to introduce this type of safety system as standard in every new Volvo car. City Safety uses radar and camera technology to identify other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and large animals, such a moose, elk or horses, day or night. It warns you if it detects an imminent collision and, if you don’t react in time, it can automatically apply the brakes to help avoid or mitigate a collision.
At speed differences up to 50 km/h between the car and the vehicle in front, a collision can be avoided if the driver does not react. At higher speed differences, the collision can be mitigated. In some of our cars City Safety also includes Steering Support, which helps you to steer away from danger as effectively and safely as possible.
Active and connected safety systems
Our approach to safety is unique. We have been studying car crashes in great detail since the 1970s and have developed a range of features that help to mitigate crashes, improve driver alertness, communicate speed limits and even communicate directly to other cars when there is a danger on the road ahead with our Slippery Road and Hazard Light Alert features.
We understand the most common cause of collisions and single vehicle crashes and have developed features to help mitigate a wide range of potential scenarios that could result in a collision or a car leaving the road unintentionally.
Protective safety systems
The foundation for our approach to safety is to help avoid or mitigate accidents before they can occur. In the event of an unavoidable collision we have the technology to make a real difference.
Safety belts
Did you know that the three-point safety belt was first put into production by Volvo Cars? It was designed by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959, years before it would become available in most cars. Volvo also pioneered safety belts in the rear seat and a three-point safety belt on the rear seat mid-position. The rear safety belts are vital for the passengers using them, but also for the occupants in front. The three-point safety belt is one of the most important inventions for mankind and it is the most important protective safety feature in the car.
Safety cage
To help keep the occupant space intact in the event of a crash, our cars are made stronger in every sense. The complete safety cage around the occupants is made from hot-formed high-strength steel and is designed for maximum occupant protection in all types of crash scenarios.
Airbags
Volvo cars contain a range of airbags designed to help protect the occupants in the event of a crash. They include the driver airbag, located in the steering wheel, the front passenger airbag, located in the dashboard, side airbags, introduced by Volvo in 1994, and inflatable curtains, another Volvo first from 1998.
Seats
Our current generation seats are made of different grades of steel, to ensure safety and comfort. The energy-absorbing functionality between the seat and seat frame helps to reduce spine injuries. It deforms mechanically to cushion the vertical forces that can arise when the car encounters a hard landing. This is an intergral part of of our Run-off Road Protection feature.
IntelliSafe Surround
Technology that protects
IntelliSafe Surround is comprised of a number of high-tech features that are designed to support you as you drive. By providing steering assist and brake support when you need it most, this suite of safety features provides reassurance and peace of mind.
BLIS (Blind Spot Information) with steer assist
BLIS helps you to change lanes safely and with confidence when driving on the highway by giving you improved awareness of other road users around you. This innovation uses radar sensors to detect vehicles that are approaching from behind, in either the right or left lane, and then alerts you to their presence. When BLIS detects a vehicle approaching from behind in the left- or right-hand lane, a light in the door mirror on the same side as the approaching vehicle illuminates to warn you, and stays lit until your blind spots are clear. If you indicate to change lanes into the path of the approaching vehicle, the light flashes. This technology helps to keep you informed at the critical moment, and can help to avoid collisions with overtaking vehicles. BLIS now also comes with steer assist, providing a helping hand when you need it.
Rear Collision Warning
Being hit by a car from behind is one of the most common types of collisions. To help you avoid this type of collision we created the radar-based Rear Collision Warning system. If a vehicle approaches from behind and the system calculates that there’s a risk of collision, it helps alert the driver in the approaching vehicle behind by flashing your hazard lights at a high rate. And if a collision still can’t be avoided, the Rear Collision Warning system tensions the front safety belts just before the impact. To further help reduce the strain on the occupants at the impact the system also activates the brakes if your car is at standstill.
Our safety belts think ahead
Our safety belts are designed to offer electrical reversible retractors to help position the front seat occupants in advance of a potential crash. This optional function works by exerting a pulling force over the shoulder of the occupant and is further enhanced if required with the use of a pyrotechnic belt tensioner. If the crash is avoided the belt tension is released automatically.
Cross Traffic Alert with autobrake
Cross Traffic Alert gives you increased awareness of potential road users behind you at the right moment when reversing out of a parking space. It can detect cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles, helping you manoeuvre safely — even when vision to the rear of the car is restricted. Radar units in the car’s rear bumper scan up to 30m to the left and right of the car’s rear for approaching vehicles that are likely to pass behind you. Cyclists and pedestrians are detectable at shorter distances. The driver is alerted by a warning sound from the left or right speakers to correspond with the location of the hazard, and a visual warning in the centre display.
Not only does Cross Traffic Alert help make reversing out of a parking space easier and safer, it also helps to improve safety for other road users,
such as cyclists and pedestrians.
Not only does Cross Traffic Alert help make reversing out of a parking space easier and safer, it also helps to improve safety for other road users,
such as cyclists and pedestrians.
IntelliSafe Assist
Driver assistance systems
IntelliSafe Assist is a suite of features that delivers a high level of collaborative, convenient and intelligent assistance in everyday traffic situations, designed to lessen the cognitive load and allow you to focus on your driving enjoyment. Features include Adaptive Cruise Control, Pilot Assist, Curve Speed Adaption and Distance Alert.
Pilot Assist
Pilot Assist is designed to provide collaborative, intelligent and directable assistance while the driver maintains control at all times. Pilot Assist reduces driver strain in tedious driving situations and increases safety margins. The system delivers enhanced speed and distance keeping and a more consistent and precise position in lane. When activated, the system also has a positive effect if a conflict is about to happen — the performance in emergency steering and braking is improved.
Pilot Assist works at speeds up to 130km/h and is particularly useful in highway conditions, helping to reduce the effort required when driving at higher speeds. For the EU and US, Pilot Assist is connected to the navigation system and has an ‘electronic horizon’ function that increases accuracy and performance in curves. Western European markets benefit from Curve Speed Adaption, a function that uses map data to adapt cruising speed in curves to a comfortable level.
While using Pilot Assist you must keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road ahead at all times.
Pilot Assist works at speeds up to 130km/h and is particularly useful in highway conditions, helping to reduce the effort required when driving at higher speeds. For the EU and US, Pilot Assist is connected to the navigation system and has an ‘electronic horizon’ function that increases accuracy and performance in curves. Western European markets benefit from Curve Speed Adaption, a function that uses map data to adapt cruising speed in curves to a comfortable level.
While using Pilot Assist you must keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road ahead at all times.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Helping you to maintain your preset gap to vehicles in front at all speeds up to 200 km/h, Adaptive Cruise Control is a supportive partner for a more relaxed driving experience, reducing driver strain in tedious driving situations. It also offers more precise safety margins to the vehicle ahead. Just select the desired speed and time gap to the vehicle in front. When the radar sensor detects a slower vehicle in front, the speed automatically adapts to that vehicle. And when the road is clear, the car resumes the selected speed. Whenever you want, you can also select conventional cruise control.
Distance Alert
If Adaptive Cruise Control is disengaged and a vehicle in front comes too close, the distance alert function activates a warning to help you keep a safe distance. This function is available in cars that are equipped with a Head-Up Display (HUD).
Explore our other Innovations
Inspired by nearly a century of world-changing innovations, we've always designed cars that put people first.
