Gothenburg, Sweden. June 11th, 2015. One of the most comprehensive scientific studies performed on collision avoidance systems in cars reveals that Volvo Cars’ standard City Safety technology reduces insurance claims for rear-end frontal collisions by 28 per cent.
Based on real-life accumulated insurance claims data from the Swedish insurers If and Volvia, the study of City Safety performance conclusively reveals the real-life value of auto braking collision avoidance systems.
The main benefit of City Safety is its ability to reduce the incidence of whiplash and other neck-related injuries caused by low-speed traffic accidents. The secondary benefit to Volvo Car drivers is a reduction in accident damage to their cars and the costs that this incurs.
Strong statistical sample
The study is based on robust insurance company data which covers over 160,000 vehicle years in traffic making it unique in the study of collision avoidance systems. Unlike police or emergency response sourced data, insurance company data covers all accidents – regardless of whether people are injured, giving a more holistic overview of the real-life performance of Volvo Cars’ standard City Safety technology.
“Volvo Cars launched its first collision avoidance technology in 2006. City Safety was introduced as standard in all new Volvo car models from 2008. Since then we’ve been monitoring the performance of our collision avoidance systems in Volvo Cars throughout Sweden, where we have a 20 per cent market share. This is a very strong statistical sample to base findings on, as every fifth car on the road in Sweden is a Volvo,” said Magdalena Lindman, Technical Expert, Traffic Safety Data Analysis at Volvo Cars.
The figures from the study show that cars equipped with the first two generations of City Safety (active automatic braking up to 30/50 km/h in certain traffic situations) were involved in 28 per cent fewer accidents and subsequent insurance claims
Collision avoidance systems are increasingly popular with motorists that spend a lot of time behind the wheel in stop-and-go commuting traffic where the risk for low speed collisions is quite high. Volvo Cars introduced City Safety as standard in new models from 2008. The first generation of the technology worked at speeds up to 30 km/h. This was subsequently increased to 50 km/h from 2013. In 2015 City Safety has been updated in model-year 2016 XC90s, with City Safety operating at all speeds in all-new XC90s.
A step closer to autonomous cars
“We see our continuous development of collision avoidance and steering assist systems as stepping stones towards autonomous cars. Volvo Cars is already at the forefront of autonomous car development and our huge credibility in car safety is a major advantage. We believe that collision avoidance systems will be an enabler for cars that do not crash and allow people the freedom to drive or be driven in comfort to their destination,” concluded Magdalena Lindman.
With Volvo Cars’ long held Vision 2020 the Swedish car maker aims to deliver cars in which no one is seriously injured or killed by the year 2020. Their longer term goal is to design cars that do not crash.
The results of this independent study of the advancements and efficiency of Collision Avoidance Systems were delivered in conjunction with the 24th ESV (Enhanced Safety of Vehicles) Conference in Gothenburg, June 8-11, 2015.
About Volvo Cars of Canada
Volvo Cars of Canada Corporation is part of the Volvo Car Group of Gothenburg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 38 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The S60, S80 and XC60 are among only 22 vehicles that have been awarded the prestigious new Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). Volvo Cars is committed to Vision 2020, our goal that no one shall be killed or seriously injured in a Volvo by the year 2020.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.
As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 25,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).
