Based on real-life accumulated insurance claims data from the Swedish insurers If and Volvia, the study of City Safety performance shows 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. 

The study is based on robust insurance company data that covers over 160,000 vehicle years in traffic and, unlike police or emergency response sourced data, covers all accidents. 

“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.

She added that the technology represents another 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.