I grew up in a 1980 Volvo Coupe. It was large and in charge with a bold, bright red hue. Fast forward 20 years, and I would do anything to have that car again. Now more so than ever because I’ve learned about Volvo’s positive impact on the auto industry, and the values they’re inspiring all of us to believe in, too.

Volvo is a prime example of how “collaboration over competition” can be put into action for the greater good. We’re partnering with Volvo to share how this philosophy can be applied to every aspect of your life, whether or not you’re behind the driver’s seat.

Volvo Gave Away Their #1 Invention

It’s hard to believe that car safety used to be an afterthought. Now, we have cameras on our rear view mirrors and sensors telling us when we’re getting close to other cars. Driving has never been easier, some would argue, but it wasn’t always that way. Volvo was the first car manufacturer to care deeply about consumer safety. So much so that they “gave away the most important safety device ever invented: the three-point seat belt.” Car safety was forever changed because they believed that the best thing to do was to share their knowledge and collaborate on changing the way we drive today.

Building the Road Ahead—for Women

In March 2019, Volvo announced that they will share research on “crash-test safety with other automakers for free,” roughly 60 years after the three-point seat belts became standard in all cars. They continue to embody this idea of “collaboration over competition,” and are even making strides to specifically protect female car occupants. Volvo’s Project EVA, which stands for Equal Vehicles for All, aims to diversify test dummy sizes and designs, including people outside of average height and weight ranges that fare worse in car crashes. One of the ways Volvo has already addressed this concern is by implementing WHIPS anti-whiplash seat design in 1998 to help women, and especially tall women, be less likely to incur whiplash neck injuries in crashes.

Aiming for Zero

Volvo is not only changing the way all automakers keep their drivers safe, but they’re committing to Vision 2020, the goal being to have no one killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020. This isn’t a “better than thou” type of commitment, this is a basic priority that they’re giving to every human being. Volvo’s safety experts have identified three ‘gaps to zero’ that they will address to reach Vision 2020: speeding, intoxication, and distraction. Volvo will be limiting the top speed on all its cars to 180 kph (that’s roughly 112 mph) in 2020, as well as looking into geofencing technology that would automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals. And with the invention of in-car cameras, Volvo vehicles may be able to intervene by slowing down and parking safely if it senses the driver is intoxicated or distracted in other ways. They’re thinking of everything and sharing their ideas and findings with their counterparts.

Volvo’s embodiment of “collaboration over competition” inspires all of us to think about how we can share our own knowledge and advice to those who need it most. When we’re open to sharing and open to caring, great things happen.

Sponsor: Volvo