Volvo C30 Overview page 18

Inaugurated in 2000, the Volvo Cars Safety Center in Göteborg is the world's most advanced crash laboratory. Here we crash our cars into other vehicles and obstacles
at most any angle and at speeds of up to 75 mph. We conduct over 400 full-scale crash tests each year. Many of these tests are based on what our Accident
Research Team discovers at the scene of a real accident. Since 1970, our researchers have investigated over 32,000 such accidents. This gives us the unique ability
to learn what works in real life and what doesn't—knowledge that helps us improve, innovate and help save lives. The patented frontal structure of the Volvo C30 is
a result of these efforts. Of course it takes more than catapults and lab coats to make some of the safest cars in the world. How a car behaves on the road—in real
life—to avoid an accident is the ultimate test of a car's safety. The way the chassis interacts with brakes, steering and different stability enhancing systems not only
determines how fun a car is to drive—this is also crucial to help drivers maintain control in challenging situations. On the road is where innovation confronts reality.
A passion for safety
That's the philosophy that builds better cars. In a Volvo C30, sophisticated
systems designed to help you avoid accidents are as important as the
systems designed to help protect you during an accident. For example, the
Volvo C30's stability and agility on the road—aided by perceptive traction,
braking, and steering systems plus an intelligent driver's environment
with easy to read instruments and logical functions—all contribute to safer
driving. At Volvo, our passion for safety promotes a joy of driving found in
no other car.
HERE, HIGH-SPEED CATAPULTS HELP US PUSH AN ENTIRE
INDUSTRY FORWARD
Visibility
One of the most important criteria for safe driving is good vision. The Volvo
C30 offers good all-round visibility. This is partly due to its unique, tapered
rear design. In addition to the glass tailgate, you can actually see more of
what's behind you through the rear side windows. The large, heated door
mirrors and the height adjustable driver's seat also help provide excellent
visibility.
(DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME).
Testing the limits
To test our best, we journey to our proving ground in Hällered, Sweden with
its 55 km of test tracks—including different road types from all over the
world. This facility is where we scrutinise a car's ability to actively support
its driver in all imaginable (and unimaginable) situations. In addition to
the test miles driven on ordinary Swedish roads, this is where we expose all
new Volvo models to thousands of kilometres of extreme conditions in
order to expose any weakness. This is also where we evaluate the interac-
tion between the car and the driver. Because the most important safety
feature in any car is the driver.