In 1927, when Volvo founders Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson drew plans for their first motorcar, they believed that good design must include the utmost consideration for safety. Their commitment to safety has endured, and has been embraced and expanded today in Gothenburg, Sweden, headquarters of Volvo Cars. Through the years, Volvo has designed safety features based on extensive research of real-world accidents.

In 1970, we formed the Volvo Accident Investigation Team to study accidents involving Volvos. Since then the team has researched more than 20,000 individual accidents, resulting in significant improvements in automobile safety design, many of which have since been adopted by other carmakers. We are proud of this tradition, and hope that our innovations continue to inspire higher standards of safety throughout the automobile industry.

Volvo Safety Milestones

• 1927 Safety glass windshields with automatic windshield wipers installed
• 1944 Steel cage created to help protect passenger compartment
• 1944 Laminated windshields installed 15 years before mandatory
• 1958 Three-point shoulder/lap seat belt patented by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin
• 1959 Three-point shoulder/lap seat belts exclusively introduced in some models
• 1960 Padded instrument panel installed
• 1967 Three-point seat belts included in rear outboard seats
• 1970 Industry's first auto accident investigation team established
• 1973 Electric rear window defroster made standard on all models
• 1984 Anti-lock brakes (ABS) installed
• 1987 Three-point seat belts included in rear center seat
• 1991 Integrated booster cushion added for children 50-80 pounds and 46-54" tall
• 1992 Side impact structure installed five years before mandatory
• 1995 World's first side impact air bags introduced in 1995 models
• 2000 Volvo introduced the Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
• 2003 Worlds first SUV with Rollover Protection System (ROPS) and Roll Stability Control (RSC)