Volvo XC90 safest car tested

According to Thatcham Research, the Volvo XC90 is the safest car ever tested, with zero recorded fatalities.

Since the Volvo XC90 went on sale in 2002 it has sold over 50,000 vehicles, yet not a single person or passenger has been killed while in the vehicle.

One reason for the Volvo’s safety is that it was an early leader in the use of camera and radar systems to warn drivers about hazards on the road. These systems automatically bring the car to a stop if it gets too close to another vehicle.

Apart from its safety benefits, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) could also bring cheaper insurance premiums.

Using lasers, cameras or radar, the car will detect an impending collision, and give the driver a warning. If he or she doesn’t act, the car will brake automatically. Thatcham Research calls AEB the most significant development since the safety belt.

AEB has been shown to reduce such collisions by 38%, according to research by the safety organisation Euro NCAP. By cutting the number of accidents, it is possible that the cost of insuring a car with AEB could also come down.

‘If you can reduce the amount of human error, you’ll reduce the number of incidents and the number of claims, which should hopefully lead to a reduction in premiums,’ said Kevin Pratt, insurance expert with Moneysupermarket.com.