Volvo XC90's unrivalled safety record | Car Talk - Car News Apr 2018

13:27 Monday 23 Apr 2018

Get ready for a staggering fact: In the decade-and-a-half since it was launched in the UK, not a single driver or passenger has been killed while travelling in a Volvo XC90.

Official Government crash statistics, which stretch back to 2004, show that none of the 70,000-plus Volvo XC90's sold in the UK have seen an occupant killed in a car-to-car accident.

The first-generation Volvo XC90 was launched in 2002, becoming the first SUV on the market to feature Roll Stability Control. The feature measures XC90's roll angle in extreme manoeuvres, activating the stability control system to reduce the risk of a rollover accident.

The second-generation, launched in 2014, came with two world-first safety aids in the form of Run-off Road Protection and automatic emergency braking at junctions. Run-off Road Protection automatically tightens the front seatbelts to keep occupants in the safest possible position whenever the car unexpectedly leaves the road, while a collapsible energy-absorbing section between the front seats and seat frame cushions reduces the risk of spinal injury. Meanwhile, the pioneering emergency braking system activates if the driver turns into the path of an oncoming vehicle at a junction.

Every new Volvo since 2014 has come with automatic emergency braking as standard, and the latest version of automatic emergency braking can even detect pedestrians, cyclists and large animals. The latest-generation XC90 was named best overall performer for 2015 when it was tested by safety organisation Euro NCAP.

Volvo has pioneered the use of information from real accidents to improve safety, and since 1970 its Accident Research Team has collected data from thousands of real-world accidents to help better understand and address real-life safety on our roads. This continued commitment forms part of Volvo’s Vision 2020, a plan that aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by 2020.

The Goverment data was analysed by Thatcham Research, whose director of research Matthew Avery commented, “The extraordinary safety record of the Volvo XC90 in the UK is built on class-leading passive safety. Volvo has long been a pioneer in active safety, too, offering standard-fit safety technologies which help drivers to avoid crashes completely. It's that combination of outstanding passive and active safety which sees Volvo cars excel in Euro NCAP safety testing, setting the standard for all car makers."