Volvo means safety, and has since 1927. Our trucks are engineered with safety features that protect the driver behind the wheel and around the cab. Over the past 85 years Volvo engineers have pioneered a long list of safety innovations. Volvo Trucks was the first manufacturer to pass the government impact test (1959); first to make safety belts standard (1974); first collapsible steering wheel (1979); invented three point safety belts (1986); first standard antilock brakes (1992); first with standard daytime running lights (1995); first standard driver side airbags (1997); and first to make the i-Shift automatic transmission standard (2012).All Volvo trucks are designed to pass the Offset Barrier Test, and we’re the only manufacturer to meet the standards of the Volvo Swedish Impact Test. Learn below how Volvo Trucks has engineered safety inside and outside the cab.
Safety By Design, it’s the starting point for every Volvo Truck.
At Volvo Trucks, safety isn’t an option. It’s standard. From accident avoidance to driver protection, Volvo is dedicated to Safety by Design.
Volvo’s commitment to safety helps drive the success of your business by putting the well-being of drivers and their families first. And our attention to safety lowers insurance costs related to accidents and reduces cargo loss and downtime due to accidents.
Our top priority is to protect you, your truck and your bottom line. That’s why Volvo Trucks are built to be the safest on the road. Contact us at Wheeling Truck Center for more information
See why other fleets choose Volvo because of Safety – Safety Testimonals
Passive Safety
INSIDE THE CAB
High strength steel cab.
Every Volvo cab and sleeper is constructed with High Strength Steel (HSS). This gives your cab the highest strength-to-weight ratio in the industry. In the event of an accident, the engine and transmission are designed to drop down and away from the driver as the steering column automatically collapses. And it helps make us the only manufacturer that meets or exceeds the standards of the Swedish Impact Test.
The seatbelt’s best friend.
Standard.
Safety has always been Volvo’s guiding star. In fact, we invented the 3-point seat belt that is now standard on every car and truck in North America. We are also the only ones to offer a driver’s side airbag as standard on every Volvo model. Together, they reduce the chance of being injured in a crash. Nothing is more important.
Improved Visibility.
Volvo’s large (2,092-square-inch), one-piece windshield offers improved driver visibility. Sloping side windows help you stay aware of close-range hazards. Six strategically placed defroster nozzles provide increased airflow over the windshield for faster clearing. Overlapping interior sun visors reduce glare. Grooves molded into each side of the windshield deflect molding water from the side windows to improve visibility.
Easy and safe entry.
A generous, 37-inch-wide door opens a full 60 degrees allowing for easy access into the cab. Internal grab handles on each side of the door allow comfortable three-point entry and exit. Grab handles are mounted low inside the cab for a clean, dry and easy-to-reach grip removed from the elements.
OUTSIDE THE CAB
Improved visibility down the road
Volvo’s powerful projection headlights increase nighttime visibility 20% on low beam and provide better right-shoulder visibility. Volvo pioneered daytime running lights to help other drivers see you regardless of the hour or weather. Optional auxiliary lights in the bumper provide even greater visibility on the road while maintaining aerodynamics and fuel economy.
Enter sure footed
Entry steps are self-cleaning for safe access. Wide, anti-slip aluminum steps are offset so that each step is visible from the cab compartment. Self-cleaning, anti-slip steps and deck plate provide safer access to the back of the cab. Conveniently placed steps and grab handles allow safe, easy back-of-cab access.
Mirrors that tell the whole story
A split mirror design gives you better forward visibility and economy, while the three-arm vibration-free mountings provide greater stability. Volvo’s breakaway mirror arms lower the risk of impact damage. A down-view mirror above the passenger window expands your field of view on the side of the truck.
Volvo Active Safety Technology
While the “passive safety” of impact protection is important, we know the best accident is one that never happened. So much of our recent focus has been on active safety—the ability to avoid accidents or lessen their severity.
Studies from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) attributes human error as the cause of more than 90 percent of all truck-involved crashes. By providing driver warnings and taking corrective action, Active safety technology plays a vital role in helping avoid accidents. Volvo Trucks has integrated active safety technologies to provide the unique advantage of being able to set the warning hierarchy and present the most important warning or warnings to the driver.
Use the tabs below to learn more about Volvo Enhanced Cruise (VEC) with Active Braking, Lane Departure Warning, and Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST).
VEST STABILITY
On the road, losing control is not an option.
Perhaps the most important recent advancement in truck safety is Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST) with ABS traction control. VEST makes emergency braking more efficient. It dramatically reduces the likelihood of a rollover, jackknife or loss of control incident on both wet and dry roads. VEST sensors quickly and accurately detect a dangerous driving situation and respond by automatically reducing the engine torque and activating the necessary brakes.
By automatically compensating for driver error, miscalculation or rapidly changing road conditions, VEST helps keep the vehicle under control even on wet or snowy roads, black ice and exit ramps. Volvo trucks with VEST not only help you survive accidents, but help you avoid them as well. Serious accidents such as rollovers and jackknives are less frequent, reducing the impact of such accidents on your bottom line.
VEST Winter
LANE DEPARTURE
Lane Departure Warning. Stay on the right track.
Drifting out of lane is a common cause of many crashes. Volvo’s Lane Departure Warning is a sophisticated safety system that tracks the road markings with a windshield-mounted camera. Should you unintentionally drift out of the lane, it provides audible and visual alerts to get you back on track.
ENHANCED CRUISE
Greater distance means greater safety.
Volvo Enhanced Cruise (VEC) with Active Braking is Volvo’s fully integrated radar-based system that helps you maintain a safe following distance in traffic, , even in adverse weather and visibility conditions. Using radar sensors behind the front bumper, VEC monitors vehicles moving in front and to the side of the Volvo truck. Up to 32 objects can be detected within 500 feet in front of the truck.
If you’re following too close or a car cuts you off, a buzzer sounds while warning lights are displayed in the dash. And if you don’t react in time, VEC can step in by de-throttling the engine, apply the engine brake and when needed apply up to two-thirds the brake power – helping you avoid having a really bad day
ENGINE BRAKE
More Stopping Power: Volvo’s Engine Brake.
I-VEB, Volvo’s unique integrated engine brake, is highly popular among Volvo drivers. And it’s easy to see why. It offers extremely high retardation over the speed range (on the D13, it offers an impressive 310 HP at just 1,500 rpm), without the driver even having to touch the brake pedal. This can help you improve safety … and increase your brake service life.
