Volvo wants all car occupants to buckle-up with its #SafeDrive campaign

By CARSIFU | 10 May 2019


KUALA LUMPUR: Volvo Car Malaysia, the premium car maker, launched the #SafeDrive with Volvo Car Malaysia road safety campaign aimed at raising awareness on the importance of using safety belts for all car occupants.

This is in conjunction with the approaching Hari Raya festive season, and the 60th anniversary of the three-point safety belt.

“All automotive safety technologies rely on the three-point safety belt as a reference point. Without the safety belt, any protective or preventive features in a car could become ineffective.

"The misconception that the public have is that airbags, crash structures, and active safety systems alone are enough to protect in-car occupants; this is of course, inaccurate,” said Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia, Nalin Jain.

(From left) Dr Siti Zaharah Ishak, Director General of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS); Nalin Jain, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia; and Azharul Izwan Puaadi, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Director, Road Safety Department Malaysia (JKJR).
(From left) Dr Siti Zaharah Ishak, Director General of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS); Nalin Jain, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia; and Azharul Izwan Puaadi, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Director, Road Safety Department Malaysia (JKJR).


The three-point safety belt was invented by Volvo engineer, Nils Bohlin, in 1959, and became the single most important safety innovation ever introduced in cars.

Noting the significance of the device, Volvo Cars gave the patent away, so it could be fitted to any car from any manufacturer – based on internal data collected by Volvo Cars since the 1960s, it has been estimated that the three-point safety belt has saved more than a million lives.

“Volvo is continually introducing many safety innovations, but it is high time that we get back to the basics –
we will work closely with the Road Safety Department (JKJR) and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) to raise public awareness on the importance of using the three-point safety belt.

"I believe the increased use of safety belt by all car occupants, will help to reduce the number of road fatalities and serious injuries in the country,” said Nalin.

According to data gathered by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) in 2017, an average of 16 road fatalities is recorded daily in the month of Ramadan and Syawal (Hari Raya month).

Volvo Cars has actively collected crash data from actual accidents for more than 40 years. Recently, Volvo
Cars announced Project EVA (Equal Vehicles for All), allowing any car manufacturer to access its research
data to build safer cars.

 

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