LONDON —  In October 2011 ,Tristar Worldwide purchased 2,100 Volvo vehicles to serve its Virgin Atlantic Airways’ Upper Class chauffeur contract.  Volvo will deliver 700 V70, XC70 and S80 models to Tristar each year for three years. The vehicles are equipped with Volvo’s City Safety system  to help improve customer safety, and the investment is already paying off. Since September 2011, the technology has contributed to a 28% decrease in Tristar’s rear impact accidents where its drivers have been at fault.

City Safety System sensor mounted on front windshield.

The safety technology makes use of a laser sensor that is built into the windshield or front bumper like an electronic eye and automatically brakes if it senses that the vehicle is approaching a vehicle in front of it too quickly, a sign that the driver may not be paying attention. The system only works at low speeds, somewhere around 19 mph or less.

Tristar also has been deploying vehicles with Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System to help reduce collisions caused by lane-changing, which accounts for nearly 13% of the company’s accidents, although Tristar has yet to quantify the reductions in these accidents.

Read more about Tristar’s successful safety improvements by clicking the following links:

Volvo City Safety Technology Drives Down Chauffeur Company At Fault Rear Impact Accidents

Volvo’s City Safety System Produces Tangible Results For U.K. Car Service

Volvo Reduced Rear Impact Accidents by 28% in 6 Months

— Michael Campos, LCT associate editor