| Ok time for my weekly rant. Today I was driving a | | | | victim of the credit crunch and there'd be no more |
| considerable distance to have my eyes tested (my | | | | cars to buy. Quite the opposite. The new Volvo |
| uncle is my optician but I won't bore you with the | | | | XC60 is a soft-roader (that'll be a 4 x 4 that goes on |
| details) which in itself was going to take up a | | | | the school run but no-where else) that aims to keep |
| considerable percentage of the day. This is of course | | | | the company streets ahead of its rivals who have |
| before you factor in the traffic police, their | | | | caught up with their prized safety technology. |
| procedures and rubber neckers. Yep some | | | | To outline just how much Volvo prioritises safety, |
| unfortunate fellow in a Volvo appeared to have had | | | | the company were the first to fit head restraints, |
| an altercation with another Volvo driver and the | | | | three point seatbelts, child locks, seatbelt reminder |
| grass verge alongside the motorway was littered | | | | buzzers and daytime running lights. Volvo also |
| with more Swedish parts than Ikea. | | | | employed a research division to visit every crash |
| Thankfully both drivers were fine, but then they | | | | within a hundred mile distance of the factory in |
| would be in a Volvo. After all safety and Volvo go | | | | Sweden to analyse what had hurt the occupants in |
| together like speed and Ferrari. Not as exciting I | | | | the crash and what could be done to prevent it from |
| grant you, but I know which I'd rather be in when I | | | | happening again. Their latest breakthrough clearly is |
| plough into a tree at 70mph. Anyhow, I digress. My | | | | not a fad. |
| issue today was not with the accident itself - it | | | | The system in the XC60 is called City Safety and it |
| wasn't deliberate, hence why they're called accidents | | | | involves sensors on the car that will automatically |
| - but with the traffic police that decided that despite | | | | start the car braking if the distance to the car in |
| only half of the slow lane being affected they'd close | | | | front gets worryingly close. Just remember the |
| the entire motorway. | | | | system is called City Safety because it is intended to |
| Surely common sense would say that once the police | | | | work at 20mph or below, so don't use this as an |
| arrived on the scene with both drivers not picking | | | | endorsement to show off to your friends that your |
| their limbs up from the central reservation, that at | | | | car will brake unassisted because you'll more than |
| most a single lane should be cordoned off, therefore | | | | likely end up in the back of the car in front until you |
| slowing the traffic down, but keeping it flowing all the | | | | read the handbook. That said, car insurers are |
| same whilst the debris was cleared. Not so, in fact I | | | | considering a 25% discount to all XC60 owners, so |
| waited for two hours whilst the police flashed their | | | | confident are they that the technology will be a |
| lights and sat in their cars, before we were allowed | | | | success. |
| to get going again. | | | | There are also amber lights on the mirrors that flash |
| Of course once the first few rows of cars set off, | | | | like crazy if you stray out of lane - an enhancement |
| the rest wanted to see all there was to see and | | | | on Citroen's idea which involved the drivers' seat |
| crawled past the stricken vehicles at 1mph, straining | | | | vibrating which no doubt led to many women |
| their necks and mumbling to themselves. Now I'd | | | | deliberately straying out of lane. It's refreshing that in |
| understand your scepticism about how I know so | | | | a car world where electronic developments are |
| much about the crash if I: a) wasn't involved and b) | | | | normally reserved for quicker gear changes or more |
| didn't strain a look myself. Valid point made, however | | | | bass on your Sat Nav/In-car Cinema/Gaming Console |
| whilst I was stuck to the car in fronts bumper at | | | | optional extra, that Volvo have put their knowledge |
| 1mph screaming for him to get a move on, it was | | | | to something that could very well revolutionise road |
| pretty hard not to see the situation as I went past. | | | | safety. |
| Not content with saving the lives of those that do | | | | Hopefully they'll reward their current customers with |
| have shunts like the above, Volvo now believe they | | | | a few versions to trial. I can recommend two drivers |
| can stop a crash happening at all. At first I thought | | | | in need of new Volvos. |
| this was a coded message that they were the latest | | | | |