Volvo, the inventor of the three-point seatbelt, on Tuesday said it is making integrated side curtain airbags standard equipment on all new Volvo truck models built for the North American market.
Volvo Trucks introduced the driver-front airbag in 1996 with the launch of the VN model and made it standard equipment going forward.
The side curtain airbags are engineered to deploy in a rollover, offering added protection for both the driver and passenger. Rollovers remain among the most severe crash types, accounting for roughly half of all truck occupant fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Making side curtain airbags standard across its North American lineup is part of Volvo’s safety-first approach, said Magnus Koeck, Volvo Trucks Vice President of Strategy, Branding and Marketing.
"We have always been the safety leader, and we will always be the safety leader," Koeck said. "We will never compromise on safety. We're putting active safety and passive safety at the top of our list."
Volvo is the first heavy-truck maker to deploy side curtain airbags on its trucks and the first to make them standard equipment. Volvo was also the first heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America to introduce high-strength steel cabs, electronic stability control, and, most recently, an automatic emergency call system that connects trucks directly to 911 after airbag deployment.
