Here’s How Volvo Conducts Safety Tests On Its Cars – Video

Volvo cars crash testing

Volvo’s crash test facility is one of the most advanced in the world, allowing the carmaker to constantly improve the safety of its vehicles

Swedish luxury carmaker Volvo is known for building some of the safest vehicles in the world. The company is responsible for some of the most important safety features in cars, like the three-point safety belt, rear-facing child seats, roll-over protection system, blind-spot monitoring system, pedestrian detection, etc. Over the years, Volvo has always pushed the envelope when it comes to vehicular safety.

In December 2020, Volvo Cars Safety Centre has completed 20 years. Since its inception, this in-house crash test facility has tested an average of one car per day. It was the most advanced crash lab in the world back in its day, and even today, it is one the best crash test facilities in the world, capable of conducting various types of tests.

Before a physical crash test of a car, Volvo runs simulations on computers. After that, the vehicles are subjected to various crashes. There are over a dozen barriers, both moveable and fixed, which are filmed by multiple high-speed cameras. All this valuable data is then used for identifying shortcomings in safety, if any, thus helping in the development of safer cars.

The Volvo Crash Centre consists of two indoor test tracks, one 108 metres and the other 154 metres long. Some crash tests are also performed outside, in the open, like rollover and road run-off test. Apart from that, Volvo has also performed high-altitude drop tests, which simulate high-speed crashes.

These drop tests, performed only a few weeks back, were conducted in association with Swedish rescue services, who studied them to develop effective strategies for rescue. The results and findings of the high-altitude drop tests are free for all to access, and can be studied by rescue agencies of other countries.

Volvo cars safety crash test

Volvo’s commitment to safety has always been higher than its desire to make profits; even the three-point seat belt, which is used in every modern car, was an open patent, which allowed other carmakers to use it without restriction. With electrification taking hold over the automobile industry, Volvo is upgrading its crash test centre to handle EV crash tests as well.