Volvo have two test tracks of 108 and 154 metres long respectively. One of them is moveable and can be positioned between 0 and 90 degrees to test the course of different accidents at various angles and speeds, for example, a crash between two cars that are in motion.

In the crash test lab, an enormous mobile collision barrier is also used that can be moved with the help of a hydraulic lifting system with air cushions.

This barrier is used for testing various frontal collisions, side impacts and rear end collisions. However, buses and trucks can also be crash-tested against the barrier.

During crash tests, both the cars and the barrier are fitted with sensors in order to register the entire chain of events.

On the fixed track, passenger cars can be crashed at speeds up to 120 km/h and outside, roll-over tests can also be conducted. There is a large outdoor area adjacent to the building where different types of full-scale traffic environments can be constructed.

Some 400 full-scale tests are conducted each year. They are all filmed from a number of different angles using digital, high-speed cameras. Several of the cameras are mounted at a height of 11 meters and others film the accident from inside the car and from below through extremely thick glass.

The Volvo XC60 is the safest Volvo ever and contains all of the latest technology that Volvo Cars can offer in terms of protective and preventive safety.

This includes a two-stage integrated booster cushion with a force limiting safety belt, City Safety, the Driver Alert System and the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS).

Approximately 120 Volvo XC60s had “made the supreme sacrifice” in the laboratory before this model was launched in 2008. The car has also been virtually crashed several thousand times in computer simulations based on real-life data.

Several of the XC60 crashes have had an audience.