Volvo Receives Award For Child Seat

Anthony Fontanelle
November 15, 2007

For 80 years, Volvo has been known as one of the leading automakers when it comes to vehicle safety. Safety has always been the foremost priority of the Swedish automaker and it is not surprising that their penchant for developing safety technology after safety technology has earned them awards and even more awards. Recently, it was the Popular Science Magazine which gave an award to the Swedish automaker for their cutting-edge childe booster seat cushion system.

The automaker's newly-developed booster seat is designed to adequately help protect its occupants in the unfortunate event of a collision. This is made for children who have already outgrown their child seats. The said cushion system is complemented by an extended inflatable curtain which deploys upon collision. Volvo booster seats are also designed with a stronger side body structure.

The said safety innovation from the FoMoCo-owned, Sweden-based automaker is chosen among thousands of new products as this year's recipient of Popular Science's Best of What's New award. Although the award was given just recently, the basic idea of the booster seat has already been showcased in 2001 in Volvo's Safety Concept Car. Improvements have been made to the system and the end product is a much safer system which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year on the XC70.

"Our goal is to help protect occupants. This award acknowledges our efforts to help protect our smallest passengers, our children," said Thomas Broberg, Senior Safety Advisor at Volvo Cars in Sweden. "This new seat, in conjunction with our refinements in side body structure and the inflatable curtain will have a significant reduction in child injuries," he added further.

One of the things that Volvo considered in the development of the cushion system is the size of children. Since they are smaller than grownups, they need special seat belts which can restrain them safely. Or, the booster seat can be adjusted to the right height so that the provided safety belt will fit them snuggly. The latter is what Volvo decided upon. Studies support that children using booster seats and safety belts make them safer inside a vehicle.

"We took into account the child's physical size and weight, seat belt misuse, child physiology, along with redesigning our vehicle side body structure and side impact inflatable curtain to come up with this new integrated two-step booster seat,” said Broberg. "There will be better fitment of our three-point seat belt, a wider age and weight range, and better attitude for the child who can now easily see outside with the added benefit of reducing driver distraction. Hopefully we will hear less often: 'Are we there yet?’," he added.

Apart from being equipped with safety features such as the one mentioned, Volvo vehicles are also proving to be more and more popular among car buyers because of its reliable auto parts which are as durable as Subaru spark plug wires.

Source:  Amazines.com