4wdOnline Manager (Admin)
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Post Number: 89
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Friday, May 27, 2005 - 10:11 am: |       |
The Tough Swedish Cab Safety Test: a Major Contribution to Truck Safety
At Volvo Trucks the safety of truck drivers and of other road users is of utmost concern. This is why since 1969 the Volvo Accident Investigation Team has studied accidents and their causes to understand how trucks can be made safer for all.
In the words of Ken Cowell, National Product Strategy Manager at Volvo Truck Australia:
“There are a few good trucks out there but I am convinced that Volvo trucks are outstanding. One of the reasons is that all Volvo cabs have to pass the severe Swedish Cab Strength Test and not just conform to the European Commission Standards.”
The Swedish Cab Test has been developed through the analysis of real-world conditions and not just by hitting metal with a big hammer. A 15 tonne weight is used to test the strength of our roof while other - less severe - simulations only use 10 tonnes.
In real-world conditions the most probable and damaging type of impact suffered by truck cabs is on the A pillar, just by the windscreen. This is the area where the Swedish Cab Strength Test swings a one-tonne weight at an angle of 15 degrees while other tests simply impact the middle and forward part of the cab 1.4 meters from the ground, a most unlikely condition in real life.
At Volvo Trucks all testing has to be performed in accordance with the Swedish Cab Strength Test. This means that tests must be conducted with the doors closed but Volvo Trucks specifies that after all the testing it must be possible to normally open the doors and leave the cab.
In heavy transport operations significant danger can come from behind. The last thing drivers want is a heavy load intruding into the cab. This is why, unlike other tests that only use a static force, the Swedish Cab Strength Test dictates that a one-tonne weight is swung at the rear of each cab being tested. All the battering takes place on the same cab. The cab must be able to survive testing from all sides and yet protect its occupants just as effectively.
In addition to the safety testing that is carried out at Volvo, all our cabs are made using a High-Tensile steel Safety Frame.
About Volvo Truck Australia
Volvo Truck Australia is a division of Volvo Commercial Vehicles Australia Pty. Ltd. (VCVA). Established in 2004, VCVA is the legal entity representing both the Mack and Volvo truck brands in Australia and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volvo Group, a publicly held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. With 2004 sales of approximately$37.5billion, Volvo’s business areas include heavy trucks, buses, construction equipment, marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace and financial services. |
