There isn't an automaker out there that doesn't have safety in mind when designing a car. It makes sense when you consider that safety's been a top priority for every single person that's visited our dealership here at Volvo of Burlingame looking to buy a new or used car. But when it comes to safety, Volvo doesn't play around, Volvo starts a revolution.
A few weeks back, we told you about the steps Volvo plans on taking to see that they have a crash-free vehicle lineup by 2020. Needless to say, ambitions don't get too much loftier, but now that they've unveiled their Active High Beam technology at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show this week, we're that much more convinced that they'll rise to meet their challenge.
For as long as we can remember, high beams have always worked the same. Turn them on when the roads are dark and turn them off when you're passing cars. In theory, it was an easy enough system to follow, but as anyone who's driven at night can tell you, lots of drivers have a hard time following it.
So to prevent drivers from accidentally blinding each other on the road, Active High Beam technology removes human error from the equation by keeping your brights on at all times. Reported to be implemented on Volvo S60, Volvo V60, and Volvo XC60 models, the Active High Beam system utilizes tiny cameras and sensors that are outfitted onto the body of the said models to detect nearby vehicles. When your high beams are at risk of impairing another driver's vision, it automatically blocks out portions of the headlights down to a 1.5-inch margin of accuracy.
"We have enhanced our collision-avoiding technologies continuously, and in Geneva we will present the next, groundbreaking step," says Prof. Lotta Jakobsson, Senior Technical Specialist Safety at Volvo Cars Safety Centre. "As the leader in automotive safety, we have reduced the risk of being injured in an accident in one of our latest car models by more than 50 percent since the year 2000 . . . [and] we keep moving towards our aim that by 2020 no one should be injured or killed in a new Volvo."1
Word has it that this is not the only new safety measure that Volvo will be unveiling at Geneva, so make sure to keep checking back on our blog for all the latest. And if you'd like to learn more about the safety features already in place in our Volvo lineup, then swing by our parts department at 900 Peninsula Avenue in Burlingame, CA 94010 for a full rundown. Remember, folks: safety first.
Source: 1http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/01/volvo-to-unveil-permanent-high-beam-headlamp-technology-w-video/