Reaffirming their position as global automotive safety leader, Volvo Cars is collaborating with Swedish sport and safety brand, POC, to deliver a world-first research project which will develop testing methods for car-bike helmet crash scenarios. Volvo Cars will use resulting insights in the future development of safety systems for more vulnerable road users, whilst the research project will help to make POC’s helmets even safer and more protective in the event of a car-bike accident.
The first phase of the project will be to test helmet impacts against cars in a controlled environment, to further understand variables and testing needs. The ultimate objective is to help Volvo Cars and POC understand the types of long-term injuries cyclists sustain following an accident.
Already clear from Volvo Cars’ own research, and from 3rd party data, is that accidents between bikes and vehicles are frequent and can often lead to serious injury or death. With a clear strategy to avoid these types of accidents completely, Volvo Cars launched its pedestrian detection with full auto brake in 2010, and cyclist detection with full auto brake in 2013, both technologies that now come as standard in all Volvo car models as part of the City Safety technology feature. Volvo Cars previously partnered with POC in 2014 to develop a connectivity concept between bikes and cars, which was released at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
The research data and analysis which Volvo Cars will be providing will help POC improve helmet design – taking into account the specific protection needs of a cyclist when an accident with a car does occur.
