Final Report

Assalamualaikum wbt and Greetings to all.
This is the report submission for subject SCB 11303 Automotive Engineering Fundamental

Introduction

“Safety and security” has become basic element in our daily life experience. There are severel purpose for this development. One of the biggest influence is the increasing number of people in the world. As for the Barter system,more resources from earth are being used in daily life more than it can provide.The other reason are the rapid rate of change in the world, the use of all kinds of energy,increasing social differences,the consumption of fossil fuel,local and global accidents,and crime.

For this reason,it is not suprising when customers want a new cars,they would ask about the performance characteristics,especially about the safety features of the vehicles.Applied to cars,this means that customer desire not only safe and comfortable driving without breakdowns,but also integrated information and communication systems and to be safe as possible in the event of an accident.

Definitions

Safety in vehicles is the avoidance of automobile accidents or the minimization of harmful effects of accidents, in particular as pertaining to human life and health. Numerous safety features have been built into cars for years,some for the safety of car’s occupants only,some for the safety of others.

One of the best definitions is based on statement made by the German university professor,Professor Koeβler in 1955.”The motor-vehicle has the duty to transport humans and goods from place A to place B,as safely,as quickly,and as comfortable as possible.”In modern days,we would add to this definition “…and as efficiently and environmental friendly as possible.”

Some additional definitions related to vehicle safety are as follows:

1.      Accident avoidance(Active safety)

-All measures that serve to prevent accidents.

2.      Mitigation of injuries(Passive safety)

-All measures that help to reduce injuries during accidents.

3.      External safety

-Design of the external parts of the vehicles to reduce injuries in the event of a collision with an external collision partner.

4.      Interior safety

- Design of the internal parts of the vehicles to prevent additional injuries in the event of contact with an occupant of the vehicle.

5.      Restraint systems

-Vehicle components that specificially influence the relative movement of occupants in relation to the vehicle.

6.      Smart restraints,sensors and actuators

-These apply to occupant detection and pre-crash evaluation.

7.      Primary collisions

-Collision of the vehicle with another obstacles.

8.      Secondary collisions

-Collision of the occupant with vehicle parts.

9.      Active devices

-Safety features that must be activated manually for use.

10.  Passive devices

-Safety and restraint systems that in an accident are activated automatically.

Location For Safety Features In Vehicles

Safety features in Volvo’s is included exterior and interior of the car itself.

Technology Invented

Safety cage 

Designed to work together with other safety systems to help reduce the risk of intrusion and thus give the occupants of the car as much residual space as possible in the event of an accident. Crumple zones also help to absorb energy by deforming in the event of a crash. Different grades of steel help to manage the force of the impact and therefore help to protect the occupant.

Establishment of the Volvo Accident Research Team  

Since 1970, Volvo's accident research team has investigated every collision in Sweden involving a Volvo: over 36,000 incidents. What the team learned led to the development of many safety technologies we take for granted today: airbags, whiplash protection, and crumple zones among them.

1975

Braking System With Stepped Bore Master Cylinder

                                                                       

It is now several years since most passenger vehicles were provided with a dual circuit braking system. The increased safety which has been obtained by this, has the disadvantage of extra pedal movement and increased pedal force which is then required when one circuit has broken down. Besides the deterioration in braking performance it can give the driver a shock. By replacing the tandem cylinder of conventional type hitherto used with a new type, these disadvantages have practically been eliminated.

                                                                        

A new type of master cylinder called a stepped-bore type. As indicated in Workbook No. 1, the two circuits in Volvo's triangular split braking system are jointly served by the same master cylinder. If one brake circuit fails, about 80% of full braking power is provided by the remaining circuit.

In the transition from operating on both circuits to only one circuit, there is a change that drivers will feel during an emergency situation. This change is the increased length of pedal travel plus the increase in pedal pressure necessary to brake -- due to the drainage of brake fluid from the damaged circuit.

The stepped-bore master cylinder eliminates much of the feel of these transitional changes. It provides the same braking power and about the same brake pedal travel even if one brake circuit is entirely empty of fluid. Experiencing an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel in traffic can make you grow a little older real fast!

A vacuum pump is installed to provide additional air pressure for the power-assisted brakes. Located on the left side of the engine block, this pump provides vacuum to the vacuum brake cylinder (also called power brake booster). A round, flat rubber piece (called a diaphragm) inside the pump provides the pressure. Repairs to this pump are made using a diaphragm repair kit and, if needed, an internal valve kit. 

1978

Child Booster Seat introduced

The impetus for modern child safety was born in Sweden 1963. The first rear-facing child safety seat was designed by Bertil Aldman of Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden. While watching an American TV program, Aldman noticed the position of the astronauts in the Gemini space capsule. By lying on their backs, in opposite direction to the force of acceleration, they were better able to withstand the  acceleration. Professor Aldman believed that this principle could be applied to protect a child in the event of a head-on collision.

Volvo mirrors Professor Aldman's belief, further adding that children are best protected during the first three years of life by facing rearward in the car seat.

Auxiliary Seats for Volvo wagons were launched in 1972. In 1978 Volvo introduced a Booster Cushion. The Integrated Child Booster Seat in the middle of the rear seat was first offered in 1991. Each of these features continues as part of Volvo's child safety program. Always striving to improve child safety, Volvo introduced unique safety systems into the design of its XC90 to further protect young passengers in the rear most seats.

1984

ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) 

Brakes the wheels repeatedly (around 15 times per second) in order to prevent them from locking up under hard braking. This action helps the driver to retain the ability to steer during an emergency stop. When the ABS works, the driver can feel a constant pulse through the brake pedal: this is perfectly normal and is designed to let the driver know that the ABS system is working properly. The ABS only comes into action when it detects that the wheels have locked up under braking.

1991

SIPS (Side-Impact Protection System) 

 In a side impact, a large partof the force is dissipated through the beams,pillars, floor, roof and other parts of the car’sbody thanks to the Side Impact ProtectionSystem. Side airbags are deployed in the event of a severe side impact.

1997

ROPS (Rollover Protection System) (On convertible models) 

 Designed to protect occupants during a roll-over accident. For rear seat passengers, pop-up bars rest neatly behind the rear seat head restraints. As the name suggests, these pop up above the passengers' heads, so holding the car off the passengers if it rolls. Front seat passengers are equally well-protected by the sturdy A-pillars and windscreen frame which, reinforced with a special alloy steel, also form a roll bar. To ensure that all occupants are safely belted in the correct position in case of a roll-over, the car features pre-tensioners on all four seats that, in most roll-over situations, will eliminate any slack in a fraction of a second.

1998

WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) 

Activated in the event of arear-end collision, Volvo’s award-winningWHIPS system helps to reduce strain on thespine and neck during an impact, thusreducing the risk of injury.

1998

IC (Inflatable Curtain)

Volvo is developing the third phase of the SIPS side-impact protection system, with the Inflatable Curtain, IC, which is designed to protect the occupants’ heads in a side collision. With the IC system, Volvo is consolidating its special position as the leader in safety.

Today, SIPS is a well-known concept in the automotive world. When it was introduced in 1991, it set a completely new standard for side-impact protection. Step two came in 1994 with the SIPS bags – airbags fitted in the sides of the front seats to provide protection if the car is driven into from the side. Today, SIPS and the SIPS bag are standard in all Volvo models.

Reducing head injuries

    Stage three – the IC system – is now being developed to meet the threat from head injuries. Volvo’s safety research has shown that head injuries are the cause of more than a quarter of fatalities and severe injuries in traffic. The most common accident types that result in head injuries are side impacts and multiple accidents.

    Since the distance between the occupant’s head and the side structure of the car is so short, it has always been difficult to create a protection system for these types of accidents. Volvo has, however, focused much of its safety development on these very issues. The result is the IC system – further proof of Volvo’s advanced approach to safety.

   “Our efforts in this field are completely in line with Volvo’s safety philosophy. According to our calculations, the IC system will reduce the frequency of severe head injuries substantially,” says Hans Gustavsson, head of product development at the Volvo Car Corporation.

   It is estimated that SIPS, together with the SIPS–bag, will be capable of reducing the most serious injuries associated with side impacts by about 40 percent. The IC technology is an excellent complement to SIPS and is expected to reduce injury even further.

Protection both front and rear

The IC system is fitted inside the headliner. On inflation, the curtain covers the upper part of the interior, from the front to the rear side pillars. This means that it protects both front-seat occupants and those sitting in the outer rear seats.

The curtain is activated by signals from impact sensors fitted in the body sides. The channels in the curtain are filled with gas in twenty-five thousandths of a second.

The curtain catches the head in a controlled manner and prevents it from hitting the inside of the car – as well as from hitting other objects that the car may have collided with, such as a lamp-post.

The curtain is woven in a single piece with channels at strategic points and is hidden within the headliner in normal circumstances.

The IC system has been developed by Volvo in collaboration with the car safety company Autoliv.

2000

ISOFIX attachment for all child seats

 Volvo's child seats are designed to use ISOFIX mountings which are available for all of the latest Volvo range. The ISOFIX system is the latest safety development in child seat technology and is designed to be simple to use and to help ensure the seat is always fitted correctly as the car's seatbelts are not used to secure the seat

2001

Safety Car Concept

One of the more interesting concept cars to appear lately is Volvo's Safety Concept Car (SCC), which made its official world debut at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. Volvo recently sent the SCC on the road for a multi-city tour across North America, and during its stop in Los Angeles we had a chance to inspect the car and learn more about its unique design. The vehicle contains an impressive array of cutting-edge features that will likely find their way into Volvo and Ford products in the future (and other vehicles too, since safety is a very competitive area). It may well be the shape of things to come.

The hallmark of the SCC is "superior vision" — that is, improving the sightlines for the driver and providing more visual information. According to Volvo, "More than 90 percent of all important information comes to the driver in the form of visual input through the car's windows and windshield." By adapting the vehicle to each individual's driving position, the Volvo Safety Concept Car optimizes the driver-machine interface and reduces the likelihood of an accident.

In a scenario that sounds like a page out of a science fiction novel, the SCC accomplishes this by using sensors to scan the position of the driver's eyes, then adjusting the driver seat to offer optimum visibility. Once this is done, the steering wheel, floor, pedals and center console all automatically adjust to give maximum ergonomic feel and comfort. According to Volvo, "All the controls are ideally positioned so that the driver has full control and the best possible conditions for responding to emergencies. A relaxed driving position also boosts comfort, so the driver can be more alert behind the wheel."

In addition, the Volvo SCC boasts a number of other design advances that markedly improve driver visibility:

·         See-through A-pillars: Through the use of transparent Plexiglas, the A-pillars are made partially transparent. And by using steel box construction, there is no loss of pillar strength.

·         "Invisible" B-pillars: The B-pillars curve inward at the top, giving the driver an unobstructed field of vision to the offset rear.

·         Active rearview mirrors: Sensors in the rear of the car alert the driver when a car is in the driver's "blind spot." This is done through visual signals in the mirrors, augmented by an acoustic warning if another vehicle gets too close.

·         Rearward-facing cameras: To enhance rear visibility further and reduce "blind spots," the Volvo SCC has several rear-facing cameras mounted in the back of the car. Images are displayed on a video monitor in the instrument panel.

·         Adaptive headlights: The headlights monitor the car's road speed and steering wheel movements and adjust accordingly. For instance, when the car is driving at higher speeds, the light beam is given a longer reach. At low speeds, the beam is made shorter and broader, to light up a larger area close to the car. The headlights are even designed to adjust during turns, with the beam widening along the track of the curve. This instantaneous reactivity is made possible by the use of fiber-optic technology.

·         Night vision: We've road-tested the night vision system marketed by Cadillac and were unimpressed. Nevertheless, Volvo proposes using infrared night vision in the SCC. Seems to us that the adaptive headlights would be enough, but we'll trust Volvo on this one.

In addition to the above vision-enhancing technologies, the Volvo SCC employs several other active systems designed to reduce the risk of accidents. These include the following:

·         Collision warning sensors: If the distance to the car in front is too short, or the gap is closing too fast, the SCC's driver is alerted via a red warning light. The system can also be programmed to produce an acoustic warning.

·         Lane centering: With the use of forward-facing cameras, the car's position in relation to side- and center-markers is continuously monitored. If the vehicle shows signs of veering to either side without activation of the turn signals, the driver is alerted via an acoustic signal. This is an excellent feature for monitoring sleepiness or intoxication behind the wheel.

·         Flashing brake lights: Another simple but inspired idea employed in the SCC is the use of flashing brake lights. If the driver has to brake suddenly and firmly, the SCC's brake lights automatically flash, warning drivers to the rear. Although we think this is a great idea, Volvo warns that "it should be noted that flashing brake lights are still forbidden by law in many countries."

·         Four-point safety belts. Volvo is also experimenting with the next evolution in the seatbelt. This should come as no surprise, since the company invented and perfected the three-point seatbelt some 40 years ago. The SCC contains two prototype four-point belt systems: a crossover harness (X4 CrissCross) and a brace-type system (Center Buckle V4). The X4 CrissCross is essentially a three-point safety belt with the addition of a retractable diagonal chest-belt; when in place, the additional belt forms an "X" across the chest — thus the name. The Center Buckle V4 setup is similar to the five-point harness used in race cars, less the lower-front strap; it forms a "V" across the chest when in use.

2002

RSC (Roll Stability Control) 

Available on the XC90, this system uses a gyro sensor to monitor the car’s roll angle and speed. If the roll angle becomes critical, RSC automatically applies the brakes and/or the DSTC system (see point 6) to help the driver maintain control of the car.

2002

Development of the virtual pregnant crash test dummy

 Volvo Cars is the world’s first car manufacturer to have created a computer model of a pregnant crash-test dummy. Known to safety researchers as ‘Linda’, this dummy simulates the body of a woman in the latter stages of pregnancy, when the risk of injury to an unborn baby is at its greatest. This computer model makes it possible to study the interaction between the seatbelt and a pregnant women in the event of an accident.

2003
IDIS (Intelligent Driver Information System)

IDIS helps the driver prioritise the information in the car depending on the current driving situation. For example, IDIS delays incoming phone calls or other non-essential information if the driving situation is busy, e.g. during acceleration or a manoeuvre. As such, it functions pretty much like an electronic personal assistant. 

IDIS consists of two parts: a workload estimator and an information manager. The workload estimator continuously monitors the driver’s activity by checking on such parameters as steering wheel movement, speed variations and the turn signal indicators. This information is processed and at a certain workload level, the information manager delays the incoming information.

2004

BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) 

A camera-based system to detect the presence of vehicles in either rear blind spot. When a vehicle occupies the appropriate position, a light flashes to warn the driver. The digital camera mounted beneath the sideview mirror continuously monitors a 31ft. x 9.8 ft. area by taking 25 pictures per second, and then calculating changes between frames.

The technology behind BLIS

A digital camera is installed on each door mirror and it takes 25 pictures each second. By comparing the pictures taken, the system can register when a vehicle is moving within the BLIS zone, which measures 9.5 metres long by 3 metres wide on either side of the car.   [DSA note:  In the USA, etc., read yards for metres -- it's close enough.] 

The system is programmed to identify cars as well as motorcycles, in daylight as well as at night. Since BLIS is camera-based, however, it has the same limitations as the human eye does. This means the system will not function in conditions of poor visibility, for instance in fog or flying snow. In such a case, the driver receives a message that BLIS is not in action. It is also configured not to react to parked cars, road barriers, lampposts and other static objects.

The system is active at all speeds above 10 km/h. It reacts to vehicles that are driven a maximum of 20 km/h slower and a maximum of 70 km/h faster than the car itself.

BLIS can be switched off via a button in the centre console.

2008

City Safety

 Volvo will be the first manufacturer to install City Safety as standard equipment in a vehicle. Launched at the end of 2008, the Volvo XC60 will be Volvo’s first car to have this system.

Advancing beyond the City Safety system's purely laser-based system, Pedestrian Detection with full auto braking uses a combination of radar and video footage, interpreted by a central control unit. A sensor in the grille up front detects objects, then relies on a camera mounted behind the windshield—up out of the way and hidden behind the rearview mirror—to determine what those objects are and where they are moving. It has been trained to identify humans in particular, using a set of size and movement parameters. Children as short as two feet, seven inches tall will be picked up by the camera/radar team. 

In addition to Pedestrian Detection, the S60’s new system also integrates all the benefits of City Safety, detecting other cars and preventing accidents up to 18 mph. Volvo claims that over 90 percent of all road accidents are related to some distraction, and that half of all those accidents happen without the driver so much as touching the brake pedal. With the 2011 S60, Volvo looks ready to start shaking up the statistics. In the US, 11 percent of fatalities in traffic accidents are pedestrians. In Europe, that percentage is 14, while in China, it’s a staggering 26 percent.

2009

The Three Point Safety Belt 

During the latter half of the 1950s, Volvo developed a number of related solutions, all intended to prevent the occupant's impact with the car's interior components or to lessen the severity of the consequences of such impacts in a collision: collapsible steering column, padded dashboard and attachment points for diagonal two-point belts in the front seats. Volvo had already been equipping its cars with standard-fit anchorages for two-point front safety belts back in 1957, but the so-called "diagonal belt" did not have the required potential for developing into the safe solution for which Volvo was aiming.

The reason was that the belt buckle was positioned at the height of the occupant's ribcage. This positioning meant that the buckle damaged the body's soft organs instead of protecting them. Volvo president Engellau also had family experience of traffic fatalities. A relative had died in a road accident owing among other things to shortcomings in the two-point belt.

 He therefore gave Bohlin the brief to develop a better alternative. Bohlin's solution: simple perfection Bohlin soon realised that both the upper and lower body had to be properly secured in place, with one belt across the chest and another across the hips. His biggest challenge was to create a solution that was both simple to use and effective since the belt had to be able to be put on using just one hand. In 1958 his work resulted in a patent application for Nils Bohlin's three-point belt. What Bohlin integrated into his design, and which he regarded as most important for a car safety belt, were four golden rules: the belt consisted of both a hip or lap belt and also a diagonal belt across the upper body, which was positioned correctly from the physiological viewpoint. That is to say across the pelvis and the ribcage, and attached at a low anchorage point beside the seat. The belt geometry formed a "V" with the peak pointing down towards the floor. In addition, the belt stayed in position and did not move when it was under load.

This is the crucial difference between the effective V-shaped belt according to Bohlin's design and the previous three-point design of Y-type (Griswold). Bohlin's belt was in fact an effective demonstration of geometrical perfection rather than a cutting-edge innovation. The solution and the benefits of the three-point design soon spread throughout the world since Volvo immediately made Bohlin's patent available to all car makers.

 Volvo first with 3-point belt as standard In 1959, the patented three-point safety belt was introduced in the Volvo Amazon (120) and PV 544 on the Nordic markets. Volvo thus became the first car maker in the world to equip its cars with safety belts as standard. Owing to the two-point belt's relatively poor protective ability and the fact that it was perceived as awkward, customers initially also resisted Volvo's three-point safety belt. Although it was easy to use and both comfortable and effective from the protection viewpoint, it was met with a certain degree of scepticism. Ahead of the launch of the three-point belt in Volvo's cars on markets worldwide, a series of sled tests and trial impacts were first carried out on all the safety belt models available at the time. The results were crystal-clear: Volvo's three-point belt provided by far the best level of protection for the car's occupants. Backed by these results, in 1963 Volvo introduced the three-point safety belt in the USA and on other markets where it was not yet fitted. This meant that all Volvo cars leaving the factory were now fitted as standard with the three-point safety belt in the front seats.

2010

Pedestrian Detection With Auto Brake

In addition to Pedestrian Detection, the S60’s new system also integrates all the benefits of City Safety, detecting other cars and preventing accidents up to 18 mph. Volvo claims that over 90 percent of all road accidents are related to some distraction, and that half of all those accidents happen without the driver so much as touching the brake pedal. With the 2011 S60, Volvo looks ready to start shaking up the statistics. In the US, 11 percent of fatalities in traffic accidents are pedestrians. In Europe, that percentage is 14, while in China, it’s a staggering 26 percent.

This is the chronology of Volvo’s safety features.

Safety milestones

• 1944 Safety cage
• 1944 Laminated windscreen
• 1957 Anchor points for 2–point safety belts front
• 1958 Anchor points for 2–point safety belts rear
• 1959 3–point front safety belts standard
• 1964 First rearward–facing child safety seat prototype tested
• 1966 Crumple zones front and rear
• 1966 Safety door–locks
• 1969 Inertia reel safety belts
• 1971 Reminder safety belt
• 1972 3–point safety belts – rear
• 1972 Rearward–facing child safety seat
• 1974 Multistage impact absorbing steering column
• 1974 Bulb integrity sensor
• 1975 Braking system with stepped bore master cylinder
• 1978 Child safety booster cushion
• 1982 "Anti–submarining" protection
• 1986 Three–point safety belt centre rear seat
• 1990 Integrated child safety cushion in centre rear seat
• 1991 Side Impact Protection System (SIPS)
• 1991 Automatic height adjusting safety belt
• 1992 Reinforced rear seats in estate models
• 1995 Integrated child safety cushion outer rear seats
• 1997 ROPS – Roll Over Protection System (C70)
• 1998 WHIPS – Whiplash Protection System
• 1998 IC – Inflatable Curtain
• 2001 SCC – Volvo Safety Concept Car
• 2002 RSC – Roll Stability Control
• 2003 New Front Structure called Volvo Intelligent Vehicle Architecture (VIVA, S40, V50)
• 2003 Rear seat belt reminders (in S40 and V50)
• 2003 IDIS – Intelligent Driver Information System (in S40 and V50)
• 2003 Inauguration of Volvo's Traffic Accident Research Team in Bangkok
• 2004 BLIS – Blind Spot Information System (in S40 and V50)
• 2005 Introduction of DMIC (Door Mounted Inflatable Curtain, new Volvo C70)
• 2006 PCC – Personal Car Communicator (S80)
• 2006 CWBS – Collision Warning with Brake Support (S80)
• 2007 PPB – Power Park Brake (S80)
• 2007 DAC – Driver Alert Control (V70, XC70)
• 2009 City Safety – Automatically stop car at speeds below 19 mph (31 km/h) if obstruction is detected in front of car (XC60)
• 2010 Pedestrian Detection with auto brake (New S60)

Future Invention

Developing A System For Wild Animal Safety

Volvo is looking to make yet another safety-promoting technological advancement. So far, its cars can automatically avoid rear-end and human collisions. The next step is to prevent accidents with wildlife, by creating a system similar to the human avoidance one. The focus will be on night-time functioning, and on bigger animals that frequently cause accidents like deer and moose.

The tricky part here is gathering data to program into the system. To do this, the Volvo engineers have had to come up with some interesting methods. So far, they have lined roadways with food that they then drove along to capture film displaying the animals’ behaviour.

Volvo active safety expert Andreas Eidehall explained; “The system consists of two parts – a radar sensor and an infra-red camera that can register the traffic situation.”

“The camera monitors the road ahead and if an animal is within range the system alerts the driver with an audible signal. If the driver does not react, the brakes are automatically applied.”

“The goal is for the system to function at the normal rural highway speeds. In cases in which it cannot help the driver entirely avoid the collision, the system will slow down the car sufficiently to help reduce the force of impact and thus of serious injuries.”

The big challenge is to teach the system to recognise different animals. A team from Volvo spent an evening at a safari park digitally logging film sequences of moose, red deer and fallow deer. By driving very slowly along a trail where fodder had been laid out to attract the animals, a lot of data was recorded and this will later be used to evaluate and develop the sensor system.

With the system requiring such extensive efforts for the engineers, Volvo is expecting to have the system completed in the next few years. It sounds like it will be worth the wait; Volvo is expecting it to cut out over 40,000 animal-related incidents a year.

“In an impact with a moose there is a relatively high risk of personal injury since it is common for the animal to end up on or roll across the front of the car and its windscreen,” says Andreas Eidehall.

“A lot of work remains to be done. Software is being developed and, while the system ‘learns’ to recognise various animals, development is also under way on the necessary decision-making mechanisms, that is to say how and when the protective system should respond.”

“But we know this is important; during demonstrations of the pedestrian detection system we are often asked about protection from accidents with wild animals.”

There are no official statistics in South Africa on how many road accidents are caused by animals straying across the road, but many of our rural roads are still unfenced so it is unarguably a big factor in our annual road accident toll.

Airbags For Pedestrians

 Volvo has developed an external airbag on the front of its new 2013 V40 vehicle, designed to protect pedestrians in the event of an accident.

The car, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, features sensors in the front bumper that register physical contact between the car and the pedestrian. The rear end of the bonnet is released and elevated by the airbag as it inflates to cover the entire area under the raised bonnet as well as around a third of the windscreen. The raised, cushioned bonnet and airbag should help reduce the severity of pedestrian injuries. The airbag appears to be an iteration of an R&D project developed at Cranfield University in 2009. You can see a video of the airbag in action here.

The safety features in the V40 don't stop there. The car also has a lane keeping aid, which actively helps drivers to stay on course. According to Volvo's research, around 30 percent of all accidents are caused by veering off the road due to driver drowsiness or distraction. The forward-looking camera monitors the left and right lane markings and then the lane keeping aid applies extra steering torque to the steering wheel when the car gets close to a lane marking and is about to leave the lane at speeds above 65 km per hour.

The car also has pedestrian detection to assess if a pedestrian steps out into the road in front of a car. If the driver doesn't respond in time, the car can warn and automatically activate the brakes. The system employs a radar unit in the car's grille and a camera fitted in front of the interior rear-view mirror. The radar determines whether something is in front of the car and the camera determines whether it is a person. The system is programmed to trace a pedestrian's pattern of movement and calculate whether they are likely to step into the road in front of the car. If a pedestrian does step into the car's path, an alarm will go off and a light will start to flash. If the driver doesn't react, full braking power is applied automatically.

An enhanced blind spot information system uses radar to sense vehicles approaching the car from up to 70 metres away. Warnings are then displayed in LED indicators on each side of the car. If the driver starts to indicate as if to change lane when there is a car detected in the blind spot, the LED indicators will start to flash to alert the driver that it is not safe to move.

The car also features a tool called "cross traffic alert" to warn the driver about any vehicles approaching from the side when reversing out of a parking space and a tool that displays road signs -- such as the speed limit -- on the in-car display.

Other in-car technologies include a "city safety" system that automatically brakes if the car in front slows or stops, seatbelt pretensioners and an airbag for the knees to protect the legs in case of frontal collision.

Volvo takes pride in its safety features, so it was particularly embarrassing when Wired.co.uk captured the collision detection system on its V60 vehicle failing in Sweden in 2010. The car ended up crashing in front of the world's media.

Active High Beams/Bending Lights

Tired of having to switch from high to low beams manually? The Volvo V40 handles the task for you, offering automatic switching between high and low beam at the right moment.

The system utilizes a forward-facing camera and computerized image processing that will monitor the headlights and tail laps of other vehicles, and automatically switches between high and low beams, offering a driver the best possible visibility at night.

The headlamps on the V40 also swivel to follow the curves and bends of the road, a technology Volvo calls “Active Bending Lights.” The windshield detects rain, and automatically starts and regulates the wipers when there’s a downpour or a sprinkle.

Collision Warning/Automatic Braking

Volvo looks to remove the consequences of being distracted with its collision warning system. It’s estimated that as many as 90 percent of all accidents have distracted drivers as a primary cause, and half of all rear end collisions have a driver who never touched their brakes prior to the collision.

If the V40 detects that a collision is possible, it’ll warn the driver. If the driver fails to act, the car will apply the brakes itself, with full braking power. This isn’t the first Volvo with the collision warning system, but it now operates at much higher speeds that previous versions.

Driver Alert Control

According to Volvo, a full twenty-five percent of all accidents that take place on German Autobahns involves driver fatigue, and in Sweden, 30 percent of all accidents are caused by tired drivers.

Thus, the V40 includes Driver Alert Control, which is designed to detect and warn tired drivers. The system also can determine if a driver is being distracted. The system includes a camera, sensors and a control unit to continuously measures the distance between the car and the road lane markings.

Pedestrian Detection/Pedestrian Airbag

We’ve discussed the pedestrian detection system as developed and brought to market by Volvo earlier. Now, not only can the car detect a pedestrian, but it also features the world’s first airbag just for pedestrians.

Sensors in the front bumper register the physical contact between the car and the pedestrian. The rear end of the bonnet is released and at the same time elevated by the deploying airbag.

The inflated airbag covers the area under the raised bonnet plus approximately one third of the windscreen area and the lower part of the A-pillar. The raised bonnet and airbag will help reduce the severity of pedestrian injuries.

Road Sign Information

The Volvo V40 can not simply detect road signs – it even knows what they say. Using a front-facing camera, this system can detect if you’re in a “no passing” zone, and even if you’re exceeding the posted speed limit, giving the driver a visual warning in the speedometer if the speed limit is exceeded.

Conclusion

Volvo have made the whole interior of the car as safe as possible through time. From the material choosing until the future action is highly supervise to ensure everyone inside the car as safe as possible. In the mean time, Volvo are also thinking about others safety that is putside from the vehicle which non other car companies have thougt to do it in the early future. To think how advance Volvo in developing the world’s safetiest and affordable car in far beyond what our national car company PROTON and PERODUA. To give an example, the latest Proton Preve might not stand a chance if want to compare the safety features with 90’s version of Volvo’s car eventhough from other characteristic Proton Preve are a step futher. To think of it,we must think on how how to ensure safety by not just ensure everyone follow the law,but also developing the safest car to ride and to proud off.

Reference

Books
Kauthar binti A Rhaffor,Nor Haniza Binti Bakhtiar Jemily, Automotive Safety, UniKL MSI, 2011
Ian Ward, The world of automobiles: an illustrated encyclopedia of the motor car, Volume 11The World of Automobiles: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Motor Car, Pennsylvania State University,  Orbis, 1974

·       Richard Dredge, Volvo: Safety With Style, Haynes Classic Makes, Haynes Publishing, 2004

·       Robert Bentley , Volvo 240 service manual: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 DL, GL, Turbo 240, 240 DL, 240 GL, 240 SE., Bentley Publishers, 1993

·       Christer Olsson, Norden Media, Volvo Cars: A Rhapsody 1927-2000, Norden Media GmbH, 2000

Magazines

·    Look Japan, Volume 38, Issues 433-445, 17 Sep 2008, the University of California, Look Japan, Ltd., 1992

Journal

·         The ABA Journal , Vol. 77, Sep 1991,  American Bar Association

·         BLACK ENTERPRISE, Vol. 22, No. 8, Mar 1992, Earl G. Graves, Ltd

·         Popular Science, Vol. 239, No. 5, Nov 1991, Bonnier Corporation

Internet Article
Scott Memmer, Volvo's Safety Concept Car: The Shape of Things to Come?, Contributor,27 June 2001  Updated: 05 May 2009, http://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/volvos-safety-concept-car-the-shape-of-things-to-come.html?articleid=46828Volvo Cars,  6 April 2012 at 09:11,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_Car
 Eddie Wren, Future Perfect - The Volvo Safety Concept Car, 2002,
http://driveandstayalive.com/articles%20and%20topics/test%20drives/td-volvo-scc.htm

·       Volvo, 3-Point Safety Belt from Volvo – The Most Effective Livesaver In Traffic for Fifty Years, 08-01-2009, http://www.volvocars.com/intl/top/about/news-events/pages/default.aspx?itemid=34

·       Stu Fowle,The Selfless Volvo: 2011 S60 Pedestrian Detection with Auto Braking System Explained, 15 March 2010, http://www.swedespeed.com/news/publish/Features/article_1768.html

·         Volvo 164 Club of Sweden, Parts Familiarization Workbook No.2 240/260,15 January 2001, http://www.164club.org/wb2/wb21_pt2.htm

·         Ante LarssoN,Lars Larsson, Stepped Bore Master Cylinder-A Way of Improving Dual Brake, 2012 Systemshttp://papers.sae.org/750385/

·         Drive & Stay Alive, Volvo S60/V70/XC70 - New safety functions in Volvo cars, 25 May 2004, http://www.driveandstayalive.com/info%20section/news/individual%20news%20articles/x_040525_new-safety-features-in-volvo-cars.htm

·         Cecil Hilton, Volvo Introduce Multiple New Advance Safety Features, 8 March 2012, http://www.carinsurance.org/2012/03/volvo-introduces-multiple-new-advanced-safety-features-308/ 

·         Olivia Solon, Volvo’s V40 car features airbags for pedestrians, 12 March 2012, http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-03/12/volvo-airbags-pedestrians

·         Bharathautos, Volvo working on safety feature to avoid collision with wild animals, 21 June 2011, http://bharathautos.com/volvo-working-on-safety-feature-to-avoid-collision-with-wild-animals.html

·         Blas Nicusor, Volvo Celebrates 80 Years Of Safety, 13 April 2007, http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/volvo-celebrates-80-years-of-safety-ar32251.html

Video

·         Volvo XC60: Driver Alert Control, FLV, www.youtube.com, 17 October 2008

·         2011 Volvo C60 New Features, FLV, www.youtube.com, 10 February 2010

·         Volvo Safety fo Pregnant Woman, FLV, www.youtube.com, 24 August 2011

·         2013 Volvo V40 -  Active High Beam, FLV, www.youtbe.com, 8 March 2012