13 comments

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  John Redmond March 29th, 2007 at 10:46 pm

  “If the alarm has been activated, the heart beat sensor…” Looks to me like they want to avoid having you lock a child or a pet in the car. The alarm will tell you when someone breaks in, rather than the heart beat sensor.
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  Matthew March 29th, 2007 at 10:54 pm

  Oh no, their commercial is quite clear. I can’t find the video online, but they show a woman approaching her car in a dark parking lot, and the voiceover talks about the heartbeat monitor being able to tell you when someone’s inside. She looks down at her key, sees the flashing red light, and turns and runs away.

  So I’d say it’s two-fold: the alarm activation will tell you if the alarm has been activated or not, sure…but not that someone’s actually still IN there. That’s what the heartbeat sensor is for. Not for preventing you from locking your child in the car.

• Misogyny, Kathy Sierra, and CNN · Elaine Vigneault April 2nd, 2007 at 3:11 pm

  [...] there is a woman, not a man, walking to the car in Volvo’s commercial highlighting their new heartbeat sensor (an anti-carjacking device that alerts you if someone is inside your car). Even though men are [...]
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  WB April 11th, 2007 at 10:17 am

  Does this situation come that often that we actually need a heartbeat sensor on our key fobs?

  “Geez, ANOTHER guy hiding in my car?!”

  This seems excessive and gimmicky, aimed at playing on fears of an event that is probably as likely as the woman getting hit by lightning on her way to the car. And what if someone just hides behind the car? D’oh! Back to the drawing board…
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  mrs February 6th, 2008 at 2:50 am

  Gimmick! How about a flashlight and pepper spray if you’re that worried about it? Hey, then you could have any car you want and still be safe and prepared! Wow! Shine in, under, pop the trunk. That would be cheaper. I’m cautious but I don’t do all that. I’m not going to go buy a car because it freaked me out and makes me think about heartbeats in the dark. That’s called a “Scare Tactic.” I’d be constantly looking at my keychain and imagining someone inside my car, BUT.. I’d rather not live a life of fear. False Experiences Appearing Real… Just be safe and cautious. Park in a lighted area, don’t walk to the car alone in the dark, and if you can help it, girls don’t go shopping at night! An employee at Walmart told me once not to go there alone at night. Just be aware but you don’t have to be constantly paranoid. You just have to be smart.
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  Rick February 7th, 2008 at 11:42 pm

  The Ford media website says its for both children, pets, and intruders, but the car has to be locked and alarmed to work.
  Two scenarios:
  So an intruder is going to be smart enough to break into your car to fulfill his scream fantasy, and after he disables the car alarm only to be outwitted by your awesome new heartbeat sensor.
  Or, you forget your 6 month old in the car on a hot summer day, well, the sensor will alert you by a flashing light, in your pocket, where you will definitely not see it.
  If you think you need this security feature, you are probably not of the intelligence to be able to drive, so please destroy your license.
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  katy February 12th, 2008 at 5:38 pm

  I just saw the commercial today, and think its a great feature! Not so much for what it is intended to do, but for the peace of mind it brings. As a woman, who has to at times, venture out into the night alone. I am not going to let fear stop me from doing the things I need to do, I do carry pepper spay for safety, and have never had to use it, but it also serves as a sense of security. Even if the likelihood of an intruder inside your car is slim to none the device is great for the peace of mind it brings! I dont think I would go out and buy the car just for it, but I would purchase a car alarm that included this option!
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  Joe Mendoza February 16th, 2008 at 3:36 pm

  Ok, you are a blond woman that accidentally left your baby in the car, but your heartbeat sensor has scared you so badly that you do not go to rescue your baby because of the fear that you have that someone is in the car. It is only later after your fear subsides that you realize…oh yeah that wasn’t a robber that was my baby in the car…silly me.
  How about inventing baby sensor that does not let you lock the car and will automatically roll down the windows and send a car alarm until you get your baby out.
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  automobile February 19th, 2008 at 8:33 pm

  the tech is going incredible!!!!
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  BOb February 21st, 2008 at 10:42 pm

  No wonder I couldn’t figure out the fob when I rented an S80. I thought it was something useful like helping point to where the car is. I couldn’t have imagined such a fear-pandering waste of technology? I fear it may sully the reputation of Volvo owners and make us all seem to be nothing more than frightened rabbits locked cowering in basements.
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  jed February 24th, 2008 at 10:22 am

  a heartbeat sensor??? what kind of car jacker hides in the car and waits for the person to walk in on them? and what rapist breaks into cars instead of hiding somewere in the parking lot?

  unless Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees lives in your town, i think this is probably a waste of money..
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  Cb April 29th, 2009 at 2:46 am

  Yes, men do wait in cars for women to return, that is why we are taught to always check around and in our cars before entering them.

  I think it is a fantastic safety feature. For that purpose as well as for the hundreds of children who are left behind in cars, forgotten, to die. So what if you don’t think you would do it, no one does until they do. I do wish they would make it a loud alarm while rolling down the windows, though.
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  WoodinVirginia April 6th, 2010 at 9:43 am

  Most of you don’t have your thinking caps on today…
  this is a very useful feature especially in a car that has a rear seat that can fold down into the trunk. Someone can literally hide there & wait for your return . Or for those of you who often leave “pets” in the car this is useful item to make sure either they are still in the car (while your on your errand) and that no one has gotten and taken them out of the car. But I am not sure I would have put these feature in the sedan model alone I think this would be a better feature for the Crossovers & the wagons.. but you know Volvo they are always thinking ahead & pushing the envelope…
  Now I wonder why can’t they offer us the option of having 30% tint windows on the Sedan as a glass option instead of
  just offering us screens and shades.. Some of us are experiencing Global Warming & more UV light..
  Also why is the car alarm siren so weak ? I can’t hear it more then 25 ft from the car.. puny..