Volvo Working on Zero Death/Injury Rate in its Cars; Announces AstaZero

There is little doubt that the name Volvo is synonymous with vehicle safety, and now the Swedish automaker has set its sight on a new target: that by 2020, no one will be killed or seriously injured in Volvo cars. Keeping in line with that that goal, the company has announced AstaZero - the world's first full-scale proving ground for future traffic safety solutions.

Located near the Volvo Cars headquarters in western Sweden, the facility boasts flexibility, with a design that allows the scope for construction of unique, customised environments. Pether Wallin, CEO, AstaZero, said, "You can simulate all types of real-world traffic scenarios. At most proving grounds, the options are more limited." The next obvious step towards the achievment of the aforementioned goal is the development of active safety systems, which will be the primary focus at AstaZero proving ground.

Delving into details about the centre, it can accommodate a wide range of test conditions, much like the ones found on busy city roads, highways, multi-lane motorways and crossroads. The company believes that these conditions are of paramount importance for studying the way cars interact with moving obstacles such as other cars, pedestrians, cycles, mopeds, motorcycles, trucks, buses and even animals that suddenly appear. Volvo said that in certain studies, e.g. those involving complex traffic situations and high speeds, robots will operate the test vehicles.

Anders Axelson, Volvo Cars Safety Centre, said, "Safety testing under realistic circumstances is a prerequisite for developing our active safety systems. The facility will play several important roles: not only will it help us meet our safety vision, developing cars that don't crash, it will also help us further develop safety functions that will address non-motorists, such as pedestrians and cyclists."

One of AstaZero's main functions will be as a platform for the research and development of next-generation safety technologies. The work at AstaZero will also include the development and testing of autonomous driving technology, an intelligent driver support system designed to reduce accidents while improving the driving experience. Advanced systems are also under progress to further help prevent, for example, inattentiveness and driver fatigue.