Conventional crash tests don't seem to be enough for Volvo. That's why it decided to literally and spectacularly drop several new cars from a height of 30 meters with the help of a crane — of course there's more to this decision than just seeing cars crash to the ground they're so big. height.
The purpose of this exercise was not only to allow rescue services to better prepare for any accident scenario, but also to simulate the forces existing in the most extreme collisions.
According to Volvo Cars, this approach allowed to simulate the damage that occurs, for example, in accidents with a single car at high speed, in which a car collides with a truck at high speed or in a car that is hit sideways with gravity.
Why new cars?
The reason Volvo dropped several new cars from a height of 30 meters is very simple: to allow rescue teams to update procedures and learn about new models to improve rescues.
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Rescue teams usually work with cars brought from scrap metal with an average age of 20 years and therefore with big differences compared to modern models in terms of steel resistance and safety cell construction.
Now, the results of the entire investigation will be compiled into a research report that will be made available free of charge for rescue workers to use.
The request for this unprecedented test, which involved destroying 10 new Volvos, came from rescue teams. According to Håkan Gustafson, senior researcher at the Volvo Car Accident Research Team, Volvo Cars wanted to “give the rescue team a real challenge to work on”.