Issue description
Safety covers a larger area than just road safety. A lot of attention is now put on road safety due to that accidents on roads cause the death of about 1 million people every year. Some 10 million people are injured or crippled. More than 40,000 people die on Europe's roads each year and 1.4 million are injured. During the last decade the number of fatalities on European roads have decreased through joint activities from industry and authorities. The European Commission presented in 2001 a White Paper on European Transport Policy for 2010. A very ambitious target was set for road safety + a 50 per cent reduction of road fatalities by 2010. The Commission also presented a communication on a Road Safety Action plan in 2003 in which a change of attitude and behaviour is demanded. Also, taking advantage of the use of new technologies, especially in preventing accidents, will be important in the future.

For Volvo safety thinking has been a basic principle integrated in the work from the start in 1927 until today, safety being one of the Volvo Group's core values. Volvo has had an accident research team in operation since 1969.