Volvo Technology: Run-Off Road Protection

Volvo Cars Saint-Leonard

Safety: Part and Parcel of Volvo Engineering

From the beginning, Volvo has been committed to offering drivers a level of safety that surpasses all industry standards. The Swedish manufacturer has, in fact, won a multitude of international awards attesting to the optimal safety of its vehicles, earning the highest score ever achieved in the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and being named a "Top Safety Pick" numerous times by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), among other honors.

New Run-Off Road Protection System

Very recently, Volvo introduced a significant innovation by equipping the elegant 2017 XC90 SUV with its new run-off road protection package. In its efforts to reduce—or completely eliminate—these types of accidents, Volvo is reaffirming its goal of zero deaths and zero serious injuries on board new Volvo vehicles by the year 2020.

Do you think it's an unrealistic goal? Not according to Volvo safety experts.

"Our solution consists of holding passengers firmly in place and installing an exclusive energy-absorption feature inside the seats. These two factors will prevent spinal cord injuries, which are a serious and relatively frequent consequence of running off the road," explains Professor Lotta Jakobsson, a senior technical expert at the Volvo Safety Center.

In the case of running off the road, spinal cord injuries are still all too common, although the risk of death or severe injury on board a new Volvo has diminished by nearly 70 percent since the seventies. That's why the new safety mechanism ensures that passengers are held in place, with the help of:

  • Safety belts that are tightened electronically whenever the vehicle is in motion
  • An energy-absorption feature located between the cushion and frame of the seats, aimed at buffering the vertical forces that can occur when a vehicle runs off the road.

Running off the road is currently the cause of half of all fatal accidents in the United States and one-third of all fatal accidents in Sweden.

If protection when you run off the road is good, prevention is even better!

With cleverly designed safety technologies, such as Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Driver Alert Control (DAC), Volvo works to make sure you stay on the road at all times. While Lane Departure Warning helps you maintain your trajectory by applying additional torque to the steering whenever your vehicle threatens to veer off course involuntarily, Driver Alert Control detects any lack of attention when you're driving and warns you in response. In the new XC90, this mechanism is often accompanied by Rest Stop Guidance, which directs you to the nearest rest area.

Full winter driving confidence, thanks to Volvo's all-wheel drive

Who among you hasn't ended up on icy, snow-covered roads in the middle of January, praying that you'll make it to your destination in one piece? Since the winters in Quebec are variable and unpredictable, it's important for you and your family to be able to rely on increased safety when you need it most. Volvo's Instant Traction all-wheel drive system comes to the rescue during the cold season, providing you with impressive traction, as well as superior stability and control. When road conditions take a turn for the worse, you can always count on Volvo Instant Traction to keep you on the road!

Stop waiting! Come and meet our sales team and schedule a road test! Nothing better than sitting behind the wheel to really feel the Volvo technology.