“We have made the new Volvo 9900 and Volvo 9700 our safest long-distance coaches ever with a combination of tried-and-tested solutions and new technology,” says Peter Danielsson, Safety Director at Volvo Buses.
In addition to the high-quality safety equipment that Volvo Buses offered in previous models, there are several innovations that stand out.
Volvo Bus Safety Zone Management was previously restricted to Volvo’s city buses, but it has now been included in the Volvo 9900 and Volvo 9700. The service is based on geofencing and allows the speed of the bus to be restricted automatically when it enters a predefined area. The aim is to reduce the risk of accidents where there are large numbers of vulnerable road users on the move, for example around schools, at bus and train stations and in city centres. Safety Zone Management also helps to improve the flow of traffic and reduce emissions.
Driver Alert Support. The Volvo 9900 and Volvo 9700 also have a series of driver assistance systems that help to prevent accidents. These include Driver Alert Support, which reduces the risk of accidents caused by tired or distracted drivers. The system registers drivers’ behaviour and the position of the bus in the lane. If drivers lose concentration because they are focusing on something other than driving or are tired, the system displays pop-up messages and emits audible signals to encourage them to pay attention to the road ahead or to take a break.
Front Impact Protection. To reduce the risk of serious injuries in the event of a frontal collision, the Volvo 9900 and Volvo 9700 are fitted with a newly developed crash protection system which has a much higher energy absorption capacity than the previous version. The floor structure at the front of the vehicles has also been reinforced to allow it to absorb greater impact forces.
“Among the existing safety solutions that we have included in the Volvo 9900 and Volvo 9700, I would like to highlight Volvo Dynamic Steering. The system makes the steering much lighter, more stable and therefore also safer. It also reduces the risk of sore muscles and repetitive strain injury. These are things that our customers and drivers really appreciate. Almost 60 percent of the long-distance coaches we sell in Europe are fitted with Volvo Dynamic Steering,” says Peter Danielsson.
Safety in the Volvo 9900 and Volvo 9700