Scania has addressed every truckie‘s nightmare – a rollover – by developing rollover side curtain airbags, something that has never before been offered in trucks.

The new generation of Scania trucks can be equipped with rollover side curtain airbags integrated into the headliner moulding above the doors. The new airbags provide significantly enhanced protection for those travelling in the vehicle in the event of a rollover, one of the most serious types of truck accidents.

“The use of a seat belt is essential to allow the safety systems to do their job and to ensure that the driver is not thrown out of the cab,” says Christofer Karlsson, head of crash and safety systems at Scania.

“Our rollover side curtain airbag – particularly when combined with the steering wheel airbag and our seat belt pre-tensioners – ensures that the driver and any passengers on board will have a much better chance of surviving a rollover accident in one of the new generation of Scania trucks, with far less severe consequences than would be the case in any other truck.”

A common reason for trucks rolling over is that the driver is forced to carry out evasive action to avoid an oncoming vehicle or obstruction, and often ends up off the road. Advanced systems with sensors determine when and if the rollover side curtain airbags and any other airbags should be deployed. By offering rollover side curtain airbags, Scania believes there could be a significant reduction in the proportion of drivers who are killed in rollover accidents.

Scania‘s new truck generation will be unveiled online on the evening of 23 August. The launch can be followed online at nextgenscania.com.