Side Impact Protection System

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Volvo S80 cutaway showing part of the SIPS system components

A Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) is a system of protection against injury in side collisions, developed by Volvo.

SIPS was released in the Volvo 700, 900 and 850 series in 1991.[1]

The SIPS system worked by having the driver and passenger seat mounted on transverse steel rails, not bolted to the floor as per the standard configuration. In a side impact these transverse rails allowed the seats to crush a reinforced centre console during a side impact. The system is designed to more widely distribute the energy in a side collision across the whole side of the car rather than having the B-pillar absorb it all.

The SIPS side seat airbags were released in 1994 850 models and became standard beginning in 1995. In 1999, the SIPS system gained the use of the first true curtain style airbags, deploying from the headlining in a side impact. The curtain airbags now have become common in many cars and SUVs and are credited with saving many lives. The Curtain airbags became standard on the 1999 Volvo S80 sedan.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Produktinformation - tidigare Volvomodeller. www.volvocars.com