3 Innovations You Take For Granted Were Invented By Volvo

Volvo has long been a pioneer of safety technology. No other brand is as well recognized for the safety of their cars. This is no accident.

The founding fathers of Volvo, who began the company in 1927, said, "Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain safety"

Volvo is such an important part of the history of automobile safety, that you probably didn't even know of Volvo's involvement. Their contributions are so fundamental, we take them for granted.

1. The Three-Point Safety Belt. These have been required in the front seats of cars since the 1970's, so the memory of the gut-wrenching lap belt is but a faded dream. The lap and shoulder belt has saved over a million lives, and was invented in 1959 by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin.
2. The Rear-Facing Child Safety Seat. Studies have shown that children under the age of two in a rear-facing sear are 75% less likely to be seriously injured or killed in a crash.^* This is another innovation that you may take for granted as a standard safety precaution with your young child. However, the technology has only been around since 1976, when Volvo tested the first prototype in a Volvo PV544.
3. The Child Booster Cushion. This safety feature also debuted in 1976, and helps children better fit into their seat belts, reducing injury in the case of a crash.

At North Point Volvo, we're proud to be part of Volvo's strong legacy of safety. Our new vehicles take after this history, and remain some of the safest vehicles on the market today. Volvo is always innovating new, better ways to keep people safer.

^{*http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/13/6/398.abstract?sid=dde3bd9e-ecea-4430-bc03-ddbbe3aa05c3}