Research proves Volvo cars provide equal protection for women and men
Volvo Cars has long developed cars to be equally safe for women and men.
Now, a new report based on decades of research shows that Volvo cars have protected women and men equally since the 1970s. It highlights how the company has systematically advanced protection for everyone in its cars over five decades, drawing on pioneering insights from real-world accidents.
The research, conducted by Volvo Cars Safety Centre, challenges the long-standing assumption that cars are inherently not equally safe for women and men. It demonstrates that equal protection can be achieved through data-driven safety development grounded in real-world crash research.
Comparing Volvo car models from 2010–2019 with models from 1970–1979, overall injury risk for drivers has decreased by 79 per cent. For women, the reduction is even greater, at 88 per cent, bringing injury risk to the same level as that of men.
The results also show substantial advances in occupant protection across all seating positions. Restrained rear-seat occupants in Volvo cars benefit from protection levels comparable to, and in some cases exceeding, those of front-seat occupants.
This underscores the effectiveness of decades of rear-seat safety innovation in Volvo cars, despite the lack of stringent regulatory requirements and standardised testing over the years.
“For too long, safety in the automotive industry has not worked equally well for everyone,” says Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “At Volvo Cars, we've taken a different approach. By studying real-world crashes and designing with the needs of women, men and children of all body types in mind, we've worked for decades to provide a high level of protection regardless of who you are or where you sit in the car. Our latest research confirms that equal protection is not just an ambition, but something we have been able to achieve in Volvo cars for many years.”
The approach behind equal safety for everyone
Since 1970, Volvo Cars has collected data from over 50,000 real-world crashes involving over 80,000 occupants. Through its Circle of Life safety development approach, these insights are translated into safety requirements, testing, vehicle development, verification and production. The result is a continuous cycle of learning that helps drive innovations and improve protection for everyone.
This approach has also laid the foundation for the pioneering Volvo Cars Safety Standard. Volvo Cars sets its own benchmark for real-world safety, going above and beyond what is required in regulations or safety ratings. This includes developing and testing cars for a wider range of real-world crash scenarios across all seating positions.
And because real world crashes don’t involve standardized crash test dummies, Volvo Cars’ research involves considering a diverse range of occupant characteristics, including gender, height, body shape and weight. As a result, the company’s safety innovations are designed with the same diversity in mind.
For decades, Volvo Cars has openly shared its safety research to help raise safety standards across the industry. As part of the Equal Vehicles for All (E.V.A.) Initiative, launched in 2019, more than 50 years of safety research is freely accessible in a digital library – enabling other carmakers, researchers and policymakers to build on Volvo Cars’ unique real-world safety insights.
About the study
The study was led by Lotta Jakobsson, Ph.D. Eng. and Thomas Broberg, Ph.Lic. Eng. at Volvo Cars Safety Centre. It was published as part of the Enhance Safety of Vehicle (ESV) International Conference 2026.
Drawing on more than 50 years of real-world crash data, it is one of the most extensive long-term occupant safety studies in the automotive industry. The study analyses a broad range of real-world crash scenarios, including frontal, side and rear-end impacts, run-off-road accidents, rollovers, side-swipe collisions, large animal impacts and multi-collision crashes. It focuses on belted occupants aged 13 and older and examines injuries with moderate potential to threaten life, such as fractures and concussions, while excluding minor injuries such as bruises and pain.
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