On average, it crashes at least one brand-new Volvo a day. And it has been instrumental in preserving Volvo Cars’ position as a leader in automotive safety to this very day. This year, the Volvo Cars Safety Centre crash lab celebrates its 20th anniversary. At the time of its opening by the Swedish king in 2000, it was one of the most advanced crash labs in the world, and in many ways it still is today. To this day, it helps Volvo Cars’ engineers to push the envelope in safety and to learn from real-life traffic accidents, as the company aims for a future in which no one is killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.

The Volvo Cars Safety Centre crash lab is a multifunctional facility that allows Volvo Cars’ safety engineers to recreate countless traffic situations and accidents, and perform tests that go beyond regulatory requirements. The lab contains two test tracks of 108 and 154 metres long respectively. The shorter of the two is moveable and can be positioned at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees, allowing for crash tests at different angles and speeds, or to simulate a crash between two moving cars. Cars can be crashed at speeds up to 75mph (120km/h).

Outside, there is room for performing tests such as roll-over crashes and run-off-road scenarios, whereby cars are launched into a ditch at high speeds. Here, Volvo Cars also offers rescue services opportunities to hone their life-saving skills, as it did earlier this year when it dropped new Volvos from a height of 30 metres to simulate the heavy damage found in extreme crash scenarios.

Inside the main hall, an enormous crash barrier is used for testing various frontal, rear and side impacts. Weighing an astonishing 850 tonnes, it can be moved around if needed with the help of air cushions. Additionally, there are around two dozen other fixed and movable barriers that are used in crash testing, including a moose-like structure to simulate crashes involving these animals.

During crashes, the car, the crash test dummies and the barriers are fitted with sensors that allow Volvo Cars’ engineers to register the entire chain of events in detail. Dozens of ultra-high-definition cameras also film the crash test from every angle imaginable.

Before a physical crash test, the car model in question has already gone through thousands of computer-simulated crash tests. All the data generated by these tests are then used by Volvo’s engineers to develop safer cars. As the company moves towards an all-electric future, the Safety Centre has in recent years been equipped and prepared specifically to safely execute electric car crash tests as well.