- Tragic toll of 187,000 children killed each year in road
accidents
- Volvo marks 25th anniversary of integrated booster cushion for
kids
Volvo Car Australia has used UN Global Road Safety Week (May
4-10) to appeal to fellow car makers to take more responsibility to
help save children's lives by incorporating child safety systems as
standard into vehicle development.
The call from Volvo's Australian Managing Director Kevin McCann
comes on the 25th anniversary of the launch of the world's first
integrated booster cushion for children. Launched by Volvo in 1990,
the booster cushion is acknowledged as a major step forward in
child safety.
"According to the World Health Organisation, 500 children are
killed every day in road accidents around the world - that's nearly
187,000 children every year. Traffic injuries rank among the top
four causes of death among children.
"To reduce this tragic toll Volvo believes other car makers
should join us in leading the development of child safety systems
as a part of vehicles to ensure the best performance. Children are
our future - and we feel strongly that they should be given the
best when it comes to safety."
McCann said Volvo has taken the lead in child safety globally by
incorporating safety features in its cars, such as the world's
first child seat, the first rear-facing child seat, and the
integrated booster cushion.
To this day, booster seats play an integral role in keeping
children safe in cars. Though there are slight variations, in most
Australian states children aged over 7 can legally be secured by an
adult seatbelt, though Volvo encourages boosters being used for a
longer period of time.
According to Volvo, once over the age of 3 or 4, children who
sit facing forward should use a booster cushion until they are
140cm tall and 10 years old. "One of the key benefits of integrated
booster cushions is that it is developed as a part of the seat and
the safety belt is in more direct contact with the child's body,
removing the possibility of 'slack' in the belt that could be
associated with accessory booster cushions/seats or child seats,"
said Mr McCann.
A history of Volvo's car seats for kids
1964 - First child seat prototype
Inspired by how astronauts travel rearwards, Volvo was closely
involved in the development and testing of the very first child
seat prototype.
1967 - Reversible front passenger seat
The first child seat to be sold to customers was created by turning
the front passenger seat around. Adding a padded backrest with
straps made sure that the rear-facing child was kept in place. The
solution was sold as an accessory for the Volvo Amazon.
1972 - Volvo's first rear-facing child seat
Rear-facing child seats are designed to support the neck and help
spread the force of a frontal impact over a larger area. Frontal
impacts are the most frequent and usually the most severe impact
situation.
For further information please contact:
Oliver Peagam
Public Affairs Manager
Volvo Car Australia
T: 02 9020 1613
M: 0408 691 017
E: opeagam@volvocars.com