Volvo Designs Safer And More Comfortable Seats

Volvo was the first car manufacturer to improve driver comfort by studying ergonomics and introducing adjustable lumbar support backs in 1964 and, after nearly 40 years of continuous research, crash testing and innovation, Volvo is now proud to claim its seats can reduce whiplash injuries by 50 per cent.

WHIPS – Extra Protection

Seventy per cent of personal injuries in car accidents include whiplash, but Volvo’s research shows this risk can be reduced by half with ‘WHIPS’ – the Volvo whiplash protection system, first introduced at the launch of the S80 in 1998, and is now standard in all Volvo front seats.

‘WHIPS’ – How It Works

Volvo’s WHIPS seats significantly reduce the force on the spine and head by absorbing energy from the impact and offering superior support thanks to a combination of an innovative moving support mechanism in the seat back, and a fixed head restraint design permanently at the right height and position.

In practice, the WHIPS seat mechanism bends backward with the occupant’s body - first in parallel and then in a short reclining movement.

Testing, Testing

Volvo’s traffic accident research team compared real-life whiplash injuries from Volvos with and without WHIPS, and the results point to a clear conclusion: WHIPS reduced short term and long term (of more than a year) injuries by 33 per cent and 54 per cent respectively, with whiplash injuries in women these were reduced by as much as 50 per cent and 75 per cent, respectively.

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