Stay Safe this Winter with the Latest Features from Volvo

by Volvo Cars Silver Spring

Winter weather poses additional risks to drivers. Reduced visibility and traction can create dangerous conditions. If you live somewhere that experiences ice, snow, and freezing rain, the risks are even greater. It’s important to practice additional safety, keep up with your vehicle’s maintenance, and stay alert all year long, but even more so during the winter. However, Volvo models offer an entire suite of driver assistance features, collision-resistant vehicle construction, and technologies that increase traction in adverse conditions. The Volvo Cars Silver Spring team is here to break down some of the best safety features from Volvo to protect you and your family when the roads get slippery this winter.

Premium Traction Technology

Slippery winter road conditions require extra care while driving, but Volvo models feature intelligent technology features to make it easier to navigate situations with reduced traction. Volvo’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive is available on every model in the lineup. This advanced system can send power to the wheels with the most traction. Standard features like 4-wheel ABS, electronic brake distribution, brake assist, and hill start assist all offer support without being invasive. The tire pressure monitoring system will alert you if one of your tires has low pressure, which can affect braking, handling, and traction. Traction control utilizes the sensors and systems already equipped in the vehicle to reduce understeer or oversteer, both of which can result in an accident. All of these features are so responsive that drivers don’t even notice how much they contribute to the smooth handling and drive of Volvo models.

Active Safety Features

For 2021, Volvo Intellisafe builds on previous generations with safety features that use radar and cameras to detect, warn, and even sometimes prevent collisions.

City Safety – Using an external radar system and camera mounted at the front of the vehicle, this system can detect potential frontal collisions with vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles. It can notify the driver to apply the brakes or step in to brake for you to avoid or minimize the severity of a collision.
Lane Keeping Aid – By monitoring the markings, curbs, and road edges using the forward-facing camera, the Lane Keeping Aid can notify you when you deviate from your lane. On vehicles equipped with Electronic Power Steering, it can even make steering adjustments when needed.
Active High Beam Control – Never blind oncoming drivers again. Automatic High Beams can sense headlights from oncoming and preceding vehicles and automatically switch between high and low beams when necessary.
Adaptive Cruise Control – This system maintains a preset distance between you and the car in front of you by automatically adjusting speed.
Driver Alert Control – By monitoring your steering patterns, this feature can detect when you’re inattentive and suggest that you take a break.
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) – Using radar sensors mounted on the rear of the vehicle, the Blind Spot Information System can detect cars in your blind spot. When a vehicle is detected there, it will illuminate an icon in the door mirror on the corresponding side to notify the driver.

Passive Safety Features

In addition to the driver assistance features available on many models, passive safety features are quietly working behind the scenes and keeping you and your passengers safe. Airbags that adapt to the force of a collision’s impact and passenger and seatbelts that work in concert with other advanced safety technology are just the beginning. Volvo has also added systems that enhance brake and handling performance for safety. These features inspire driving confidence that can help you tackle a variety of road conditions.

Vehicle Stability Control – In instances of strong oversteer or understeer while cornering, the Vehicle Stability Control system helps to regain and maintain predictability.
Traction Control – This feature keeps your drive wheels planted in the event of excessive throttle input on surfaces like ice, mud, and wet roads.
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) – ABS keeps your wheels from locking up when brakes are applied heavily, making sure your vehicle comes to a stop when you need it to.
Safety Cage in High-Strength Steel – Made of boron steel, this robust structure reduces the impact felt on the inside of the car by safely dissipating the energy elsewhere.
WHIPS™ Whiplash Protection System – This system integrated with the front seats reduces the risk of whiplash if your vehicle is rear-ended. The entire front seat backrest and head restraint move forward in a collision to provide support and help mitigate injury.

Prevention and Protection

Volvo has always been dedicated to protecting its customers, and thanks to some amazing advancements in safety technology, your Volvo isn’t just built for luxury and reliability. It’s also built to protect you, your family, other motorists, and pedestrians in revolutionary ways. For more information about Volvo’s innovations in safety technology or to see these features in action for yourself, contact the team at Volvo Cars Silver Spring today or visit our showroom at 3121 Automobile Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20904.

Image Credit: Volvo