Volvo sent out a press release today about the Weavers, a Kentucky family who "should be on a survival TV show". The company intended the release to emphasize that Volvo makes safe cars.
To me, the release told me that some people who drive Volvos should spend a little extra for some advanced driving control lessons. (Keep this in mind: driving lessons teach you how to drive. Driving control lessons teach you how to control the car, which is far more important.)
First up is son Jeremy, who was 17 years old and delivering pizzas in his first car, a Volvo 240. According to the release, "On his normal delivery round on one rainy evening he was unlucky enough to veer off the road. His car slid down a 10m slope and was brought to a halt by heavy trees."
Now, maybe Volvo operates in a different world, but on my planet, you're not "unlucky enough" to veer off the road. You veer off the road because you are no longer in control of the vehicle. I have driven on a lot of rainy evenings. Oddly enough, I've yet to be "unlucky enough" to veer off the road.
Next up is mother Nancy, who was giving her daughter's family a ride to the airport. "Enroute, traffic on the highway suddenly ground to a halt and Nancy lost control of the car; it flipped at approximately 100 km/h."
Okay, so Volvo got it right on this one: she lost control of the car. But flipping it because traffic stopped in front of her? How close was she following, and how far ahead was she looking?
I'll give them the final one: a storm blew down a tree that landed on their 1985 Volvo. Some things you just can't anticipate. But in this case, two out of three ... well, it's bad, and I'm guessing probably preventable. Remember, there are no accidents, only crashes.