Our vision is to have zero accidents with Volvo Group products. Our Accident Research Team (ART) helps us work towards achieving that vision.
Safety has been at the heart of the Volvo Group since it was founded nearly 100 years ago. The Volvo Trucks Accident Research Team was established in 1969. For more than 55 years, this team has investigated and analysed substantial amount of traffic accidents, with the constant strive to improve road safety by making our products and their interaction with the transport system safer. The ART has been one of the stakeholders in Volvo Group vision of Zero Accidents, i.e., that no Volvo products shall be involved in road accidents.
The knowledge ART has amassed from in-depth studies—by studying the scenes of accidents, the crashed trucks and the drivers’ behaviour—is crucial for understanding how Volvo branded trucks perform in the field and to provide truck drivers a safer working environment.
A road accident is a sequence of events that usually involves three key factors: driver, vehicle, and environment. A human factor could be, for example, a road user with lack of attention. A vehicle factor might be worn tires. An environmental factor could be anything from the weather condition to the layout of the road. These three key factors guide the team in their pursuit of improved road safety.
We also undertake internal research projects, external partner collaborations, and analyse external statistics and reports. The collective findings help us gain new perspectives surrounding the cause and effect of traffic accidents.
Another important part of ART’s work is to study and analyse statistics using national and European traffic accident databases to gather important insights. These statistics provide valuable complementary information that can be used to identify accident patterns. ART uses the findings of accident investigations, statistics and their in-house expertise to provide extensive and valuable feedback to the engineers who develop and constantly improve Volvo Group products.
Volvo Group is working towards a Zero Accident vision to achieve a safe transport system for all road users. Our vision is based on the understanding that traffic safety requires systematic and combined efforts from several stakeholders. Through partnerships, we openly collaborate to increase the safety of our products and ensure a smooth interface with the transport system.
It’s a fact that fatal accidents occur less frequently than minor accidents and conflicts. Yet to understand how and why fatal accidents occur, it’s crucial to actively explore both ends of the accident severity spectrum. This approach assists us in developing modern safety systems to support drivers, which in turn helps to reduce the number of road traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
These ongoing investigations directly result in many safety related improvements for our products, and helps spread the message of safety awareness both internally and externally. To ensure continued progress toward the Volvo Group Safety Vision, our key deliverables for the team are:
