| The Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has always | | | | does not rely on the child's hips to support |
| been known for prioritizing the safety of | | | | it. |
| their consumers. As stated by the founders | | | | |
| of the company, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf | | | | Not only babies should be protected |
| Larson, "Cars are driven by people. The | | | | carefully, unborn ones should be taken cared |
| guiding principle behind everything we make | | | | of too while a pregnant woman is in a |
| at Volvo therefore, is - and must remain - | | | | vehicle. To develop safety features for |
| safety." | | | | pregnant women, Volvo uses pregnant crash |
| | | | dummies to study the effects of a crash in a |
| The company has been researching and | | | | pregnant woman. To date, only Volvo has |
| developing safety features for their vehicles | | | | engineered a pregnant crash test dummy in the |
| for forty years now. During that span of | | | | industry. |
| time, Volvo has come up with breakthrough | | | | |
| systems which increase the protection that | | | | The pregnant crash dummy is named Linda by |
| their vehicles offer to their consumers. | | | | Volvo. Linda is used to determine how a |
| | | | pregnant mother and the child inside the womb |
| According to the company, taking care of | | | | would react to various collisions. Aside |
| children inside cars is of utmost concern for | | | | from the physical attributes of a pregnant |
| them. Small children need special restraints | | | | woman, Linda is also loaded with information |
| which are specifically designed for their | | | | about the uterus, placenta, amniotic fluid |
| asize. According to the company, the needs | | | | and the fetus. This helps safety engineers |
| of babies in terms of car safety are very | | | | to study how a child inside a womb reacts to |
| different from that of grownups. | | | | violent motions as a result of car crashes. |
| | | | The virtual pregnant Linda can be positioned |
| A grownup's head accounts for about six | | | | in any way inside a car and the speed at |
| percent of the total eight of the person. In | | | | which a car crashes can also be set by |
| comparison, babies' head comprises about one | | | | researchers. |
| half of their total weight. This hefty head | | | | |
| is the weakest point of a baby. That is why | | | | With Linda, Volvo found out that pregnant |
| it is of utmost importance that a baby should | | | | women and their unborn child can e protected |
| be harnessed to a child seat which adequately | | | | well by a front airbag. Volvo also found out |
| protects its head and other developing body | | | | that using a seat belt does no harm to an |
| parts. | | | | unborn baby. The company encourages pregnant |
| | | | women to always wear seatbelts to adequately |
| Another concern is the developing pelvis of a | | | | protect their unborn babies. |
| child. This portion of the body cannot | | | | |
| adequately anchor a seat belt in its proper | | | | With the advancements made by Volvo, they |
| position as easily as a grownup's hips can. | | | | have become a leader in car safety. Their |
| To ensure that the child will be safe in the | | | | Volvo thermostat-equipped vehicles are known |
| unfortunate case of crash, booster seats | | | | to be some of the safest in the world. With |
| should be provided for them. Booster seats | | | | their accomplishments, Volvo is keen to |
| are designed to fit a child's body snugly. | | | | develop more safety features to reduce |
| It also has specialized belt geometry which | | | | fatalities caused by traffic accidents. |