Over a period of four decades, Volvo Trucks’ department for accident research, the Accident Research Team (ART) has built up a unique bank of expertise that is unsurpassed in the truck industry.
“The results of ART’s work are integrated into every new safety solution that Volvo Trucks presents. Our investigations pinpoint the problems and highlight the direction for the engineers whose job it is to develop the necessary technology,” says Anna Wrige, director of the Accident Research Team.
Over the years ART has carried out more than 1,500 truck accidents investigations and this has generated a database of expertise that is invaluable in Volvo’s safety work. Alongside this, co-operation with other countries and authorities has resulted in an exchange of information at an advanced scientific level. Volvo’s research has thus helped boost the safety level of commercial vehicles the world over.
Focus on active safety
The purpose of the Accident Research Team’s work is to improve both passive and active safety. Research into passive safety aims at ensuring the consequences of an accident are as minimal as possible, whereas active safety puts the focus on avoiding accidents in the first place.
“We’ve come a long way regarding passive safety in trucks, so now the focus is on active safety and the prevention of accidents. Not least because we know that the human factor lies behind as many as nine out of every ten accidents,” adds Anna Wrige.
Three basic issues
In principle, the group’s working methods can be explained with the help of three questions: What do the accident sequences look like? Why did the accidents happen? What can be done to prevent accidents?
“Our aim is to identify and document the main causes of accidents,” explains Anna Wrige. “This information gives us a clear picture of the major safety challenges involved in modern traffic. However, Volvo Trucks alone cannot solve these problems, so what is needed is well-developed co-operation between all the parties concerned - vehicle manufacturers, safety organisations and society.”
