Since 1970, the Volvo Car Accident Research Team has been working to improve the crashworthiness of cars by studying real-life accident scenes.  Whenever an accident involving a Volvo occurs around Gothenburg, Sweden, be it night or day, they quickly get to the scene when notified. As they arrive, they start an investigation and document the sequence of events with as much detail as possible.  The team visits 30-50 accident scenes per year, examining the vehicles, force of impact, weather conditions, road markings and other contributing factors, as well as interviewing drivers and examining medical records when allowed, all to get a clear picture of how effective Volvo's active safety systems and designed-in crash structures are in preventing injury to the vehicle's occupants.  Conclusions from this research are shared with Volvo’s product development teams, who use it to develop and implement new technologies in upcoming cars.

“The Accident Research Team’s hard work and research allows Volvo Cars to make sure that a tragic traffic accident can lead to something good: ever safer cars,” says Malin Ekholm, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “By closely analysing what has happened during each phase of an accident, the team provides crucial information on what can be improved on our cars.”