Volvo V70 Brochure page 28

SAFeTY Protective
in a rear impact the rear deformation zones will in a side impact Volvo's unique Side Impact
help absorb crash energy. The fuel tank is designed Protection System (SIPS) helps distribute the crash
to remain well protected in front of the rear axle. forces across the car's body, away from the occupants.
The head restraints help protect the neck and spine, The dual-chamber side airbags in the front seats
and Volvo's unique Whiplash Protection System help protect the chest and hip, while the Inflatable
(WHIPS) cradles the front seat occupants in a Curtain (IC) adds head protection.
controlled manner to help prevent whiplash injuries.
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In a Volvo, safety is about interaction. Because it's not the number
of safety features that determines how safe a car is. It's how well they
seamlessly interact to help keep the occupants out of harm's way.
in a roll-over the robust safety cage and the in a frontal collision the patented frontal structure
reinforced roof structure together with the safety will yield to help absorb and disperse crash energy.
belts and belt pre-tensioners will help protect the The compact powertrain is designed to help optimise
occupants. If the car first has been hit from the side, deformation. Inside the car, safety belts interact
the Inflatable Curtain (IC) deploys to help provide with the collapsible steering column and dual-stage
head protection. airbags to help keep the occupants out of harm's way.
SAFeTY Protective
restraint technologies
In a collision, Volvo's restraint technologies interact to help reduce the impact. The safety belts with
pre-tensioners activate within a few thousandths of a second in the event of a collision and tighten the
belt to help keep the occupants securely restrained. The front seat safety belts then release a little so
that the driver and passenger are cushioned by the airbags in a controlled manner. Helping to optimise
protection, the dual-stage airbags adapt the level of inflation depending on the force of the collision.
The driver's airbag also interacts with the deformation of the collapsible steering column.
Dual-chamber side airbags in the front seats help reduce the risk of serious injuries in a side collision.
Two separate chambers are inflated at different pressures to help optimise protection of the chest and
hip on the front seat occupants. The inflatable Curtain (iC) helps protect the heads of both front and
rear outboard occupants. It also stays inflated for some seconds to provide prolonged protection for
subsequent impacts. And to help protect children in the rear seat, IC interacts with the two-stage integrated
booster cushions and the belt load limiters.
passenger airbag cut-off switch
This switch allows you to disengage the passenger airbag
using the car key. When the airbag is switched off, you are
notified via a message in the roof console display. The force
of the passenger airbag is designed to help protect adults
– children risk serious injury. Therefore, the airbag must first
be disengaged if you intend to put a person shorter than
140 cm in the front passenger seat.
Side impact protection System (SipS)
SIPS is a Volvo unique safety system that has been developed to help protect where occupants are most
exposed to the crash forces. The steel framework of the car – including the front seats – is designed
and reinforced to help displace the impact of a side-collision away from the occupants to other parts of
the car body and help prevent intrusion into the cabin. The extremely strong side structure is built-up
with ultra-high strength steel and softer grades of steel to help withstand a severe side impact – even
with a larger vehicle. The Inflatable Curtain (IC) for all the outboard occupants and the front seat
dual-chamber side airbags interact to help provide further protection. In the rear seat, the combination
of extended IC and Volvo's integrated two-stage booster cushion with progressive safety belt load
limiters helps protect children.
Whiplash protection System (WhipS)
Integrated in the front seats, Volvo's WHIPS
cradles the occupant to help reduce the risk of
whiplash injury (one of the most common types
of traffic injury and often the result of a low-speed
rear impact collision). The function is activated
by a collision of sufficient force from behind.
Independent research has shown that WHIPS is
one of the most effective systems in the world
and can reduce the risk of long-term invalidity
by 50%.
energy-absorbing frontal structure
In developing this Volvo's protective qualities, we have focused on frontal collisions at both higher speeds
and with heavier vehicles. The patented frontal structure with its sizeable deformation zones in different
kinds of steel will yield to help absorb crash energy. The compact powertrain is designed to help optimise
deformation. The unique geometry of the frontal structure and longitudinal steel struts in the doors help
disperse crash energy away from the front to the rear of the car, further helping to reduce the strain on
the occupants. A steel strut under the dashboard further helps keep the cabin intact.
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