Created in 1970, the Volvo Car Accident Research Team has since been dedicated to a simple but crucial mission for the Scandinavian brand: to investigate real accidents. The goal? Analyze the collected data and use it in the development of security systems.
In business for 50 years, the Volvo Car Accident Research Team operates in the area of Gothenburg, Sweden. There, whenever a Volvo model is involved in an accident (whether day or night), the team is notified and travels to the scene.
From there, an investigative work, worthy of a police case, begins, all to document the accident in the most meticulous way possible. To do this, the Volvo Car Accident Research Team seeks answers to several questions such as:
- How quickly did active safety systems act?
- How are the passengers?
- How were the weather conditions?
- What time did the accident happen?
- How were the road markings?
- How strong is the impact?
On-site investigation but not only
With the task of investigating between 30 and 50 accidents annually, the Volvo Car Accident Research Team does not limit itself to collecting information at the place where the accidents occur.Subscribe to our newsletter
The initial investigation is joined by police bulletins, contacts with the driver and other people involved in the accident so that it is possible to note any injuries suffered (to understand the exact causes of the injuries) and, whenever possible, the Volvo team even proceeds to to an analysis of the vehicle.
This data is then coded to ensure the confidentiality of those involved and the conclusions of these investigations are shared with the Swedish brand's product development teams. The goal? Use these learnings in the development and implementation of new technologies.
Malin Ekholm, Director of Volvo Cars Safety CenterThe Volvo Car Accident Research Team is far from being the only source of data for our safety experts, but it plays a very important role in enabling us to really understand some details.
What if they don't arrive on time?
Of course, Volvo Car Accident Research is not always able to get to the scene of an accident in time. In these cases, the 50-year-old team tries to map the accidents not only with the support of Volvo staff but also with the emergency services closest to the scene and public accident databases.