Volvo Wants To See Road Safety Inequality Addressed Globally

Volvo would like UN delegates to address a large inequality in road safety, as official data shows a significant gap in the number of traffic fatalities between developed and developing countries.

Every year, an estimated 1.35 million people lose their lives in traffic accidents, with the World Health Organization (WHO) claiming that traffic fatalities are three times more likely to happen in developing countries than developed ones.

“Global data shows that there is a significant inequality in road safety,” said Volvo Safety exec Malin Ekholm. “Those safety gaps need to be addressed through technology, but also by creating and enhancing a global safety culture. We need to understand and address the variation in seat belt usage, while infrastructure should focus on improving the safety of vulnerable road users, pedestrians and cyclists.”

Read Also: Volvo In Merger Talks With Geely As The Two Consider Joining Businesses

One solution, as Ekholm suggests, would be for countries to promote safety belt usage by introducing and enforcing seat-belt laws that cover not only front passengers, but rear-seat ones as well. The problem is getting people to respect these laws, as they are often ignored even in countries where they are enforced.

Volvo introduced the modern three-point safety belt back in 1959 and since then, it has become the single most important safety feature for cars. Without it, most other safety features become ineffective – like the auto-brake function for example.

Still, only 105 of the world’s countries feature seat belt laws that cover both front and rear seat occupants, hence Volvo’s appeal to UN lawmakers.

“Volvo Cars has a long tradition in improving safety through collaboration, a crucial success factor for our leadership in safety,” added Ekholm. “Creating a better understanding of the value and need for adequate basic protection is crucial, and we need the help of the UN and national lawmakers to address this through legislation and information. At Volvo Cars we look forward to being part of and contributing to this.”