Volvo Car Corporation aims to reduce deaths and injuries to zero by 2020 -

In the quest for the ultimate vision of an accident free traffic environment, Volvo Car Corporation's short-term goal is to reduce deaths and injuries in a new Volvo car to zero by 2020.

"Zero is the one and only alternative for us. As the leader in car safety we can't accept that people are killed or injured just because they want to transport themselves from A to B," says Jan Ivarsson, head of Safety Strategy at Volvo Cars.

First of all, driving a continuous safety development towards zero accidents includes the challenge to answer the ultimate question: What is zero?

"Time after time we have seen the impossible disaster become a reality. This will of course also happen in a traffic environment that is considered accident free. However our aim is to come so close to zero that one single car accident is defined as a disaster, not an acceptable part of our daily lives," says Jan Ivarsson.

Volvo Cars' strategy includes a broader view of safety than the traditional focus on accidents. The safety experts apply a holistic perspective where the safety aspects can be divided into five phases:

-Normal driving. The driver is well informed and can stay alert. -Conflict. Technology helps the driver to handle the difficult situation. -Avoidance. The car acts automatically to avoid a collision if the driver fails to react. -Damage reduction. The car's safety systems help to reduce the crash energy in order to minimize the effect on the occupants. -After collision. The car automatically calls for assistance and facilitates the rescue work.

Roula Beiruty, marketing Manager of Volvo Cars Middle East said: “Working towards zero has been the main safety route for Volvo ever since the company was founded back in 1927. The aim has always been to make every new car model safer than the previous one.”

In recent years, focus has shifted from protection to prevention and Volvo is making continuous progress. New technology in Volvo cars such as Collision Warning with Auto Brake and City Safety can warn and assist drivers in difficult situations, in order to mitigate or avoid an accident. Volvo statistics show they have reduced the number of severe injuries by approximately 50 percent since the 1960's.