Traffic safety

Hand on steering wheel
Photo: Karin Lindhardt

VTI has a long tradition of research in the area of road safety.

Our emphasis today is on statistical analysis and engineering science. We focus on what affects the numbers of fatalities and injuries on the road and work with both basic long-term research, investigations and the implementation of knowledge.

We evaluate different road safety measures, follow up and analyse the development of road safety and measure different road user conditions such as the use of cycle helmets and car seat belts in Sweden.

Crash safety is another area of focus. For example, we develop different models of humans to be able to evaluate, among other things, protection against whiplash injuries in dynamic collision simulations.

We do practical work related to crash safety in our crash test laboratory. Ours is the only independent crash test laboratory in Sweden. It consists of an indoor track and an outdoor track. The outdoor track is unique in that it allows extensive traffic environments to be set up in a way that is not possible in any other laboratory in the Nordic countries.

The laboratory is alone in Sweden in carrying out accredited crash testing of child restraint seats, road barriers and other road equipment. The laboratory also carries out accredited testing of the flammability properties of materials in motor vehicles.

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