Accident Research

As a responsible carmaker, Volkswagen intensively investigates the causes and consequences of accidents. Both the Volkswagen Group and the individual brands are involved in accident research. For example, the Audi brand operates its own Audi Accident Research Unit in cooperation with Regensburg University Hospital in Germany, which works closely with the accident research unit at Group headquarters. At the beginning of 2007, the Škoda brand opened its own accident research unit at its Mlada Boleslav plant.

Considerable regional differences
Throughout the Group, the findings of comprehensive accident analyses are used directly for product optimisation. These findings benefit not only our customers but in the final resort all road users through our committee work and publications. As a result of different driver behaviour in Asia, very different road safety concepts are required than in Europe and America. In China, there are seven road accident fatalities per 10,000 vehicles, five times more than in Germany. Together with the Tongji University of Shanghai, in 2005 Group Research set up the first accident research project of any western carmaker in Asia. The project, which includes in-depth analysis of actual accidents, was handed over to Volkswagen in Shanghai at the end of 2006.

Mobility in tomorrow's world
Mobility research also provides relevant data for the markets of the future, covering the investigation and further development of the entire road traffic system. Together with partners from universities, politics and industry, we are searching for intelligent, sustainable mobility solutions, for example within the German research initiative AKTIV (Adaptive and Cooperative Technologies for Intelligent Traffic). This initiative, which looks far beyond the individual vehicle, provides invaluable indications concerning vehicle designs that are likely to be successful in the markets of the future.