There is another of those "My Volvo 240 saved my life" testimonial posts here today, with similar stories noted in responses. OK, no question, the old 240 and similar models were really safe cars, reducing injuries and preserving many a life. But how about the new non-boxy Volvos? Any stories to be told yet about how an S/V40, or S60, or V70, S80 saved your life or that of your family?
PLEASE: no "they-just-don't-build-them-that-way-any-more" rants. Just saved-a-life stories
Thanks.
On 29 Aug 2003, "H. Whelply" tapped on a keyboard and the electrons formed this:
My '96 850 wagon saved my ass once.
Going back home from SFO airport one drizzly night, transitioning from the Bay Bridge to I-80 north around the "Berkeley Curve."
I was doing about 65-70 mph into the blind curve in almost no traffic, when halfway through it, there were cars backed up and stopped in front of me.
I thought my ass was grass when I hit the brakes, figuring that on the wet surface I would just slide and spin into the cars, or go off the road surface into the rail. The car did neither when the ABS system kicked in and took me to an unbelievably quick and smooth stop with no loss of traction or control.
I suppose that another car with a good ABS system would have also done it, but it was a Volvo I was driving at the time, and I'll give credit where it's due.
We have had a similar experience in our 1993 960, my father avoided a collision towing our tent trailer on a very slick road, I have never heard the ABS system hammer so loudly, but it halted our loaded car and 1800lb unbraked trailer fairly quickly, but he was in total control of the steering.....
Sorry, no one in my family has been in a life threatening (or car damaging) car accident in the past 20+ years, my mom T-boned a Tempo in the early 80s with our 244, no damage to us, his fault (old guy coming out of a parking lot into oncoming traffic for my mother), he had to get a new car.... my dad had to wax the bumper of our sexy little DL.... My dad has a "how a Mercedes saved my life" story, got rear ended in a Turbodiesel 300 on the autobahn, she was doing 150, he was doing 80ish... he was in the merge lane, she was (an idiot).... I don't know it was before I was born, the benz spun, got impaled by many cars, my dad walked away with a small bruise.
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