Test environment for future road safety has opened in Sweden

The AstaZero full-scale road safety test environment has opened in Sweden. Costing about SEK 500 million, the facility is owned by SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden and Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg.

A large number of accidents would be prevented if more cars were equipped with active safety systems. These consist of sensors and advanced electronics that take over the driver’s role and make correct decisions at lightning speed that enable the car to brake, get out of the way and avoid head-on collisions. Autonomous, self-driving cars are another innovation that belongs to the future.

“Cars which act on their own initiative might sound like science fiction; however, a lot of technology has already been designed, and developments are moving very rapidly. The fact is that it is people who cause accidents, not slipperiness or fog. If we can eliminate the human factor, we can also eliminate the number of accidents,” says Pether Wallin, CEO of AstaZero.

It will be possible to test all modes of road transportation and all traffic situations at the AstaZero facility. From motorways to urban environments made up of blocks. The entire facility is connected and in the future, our cars will be too. The cars will be able to communicate with each other, for example, to warn cars behind of slippery road surfaces.

“AstaZero will also be available for researchers and traffic experts who wish to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other unprotected road users - an area that has taken a back seat,” says Pether Wallin.

Official partners and financiers include AB Volvo, Volvo Cars, Autoliv, Scania, Västra Götaland Region, City of Borås, FFI, Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and Test Site Sweden.

AstaZero stands for Active Safety Test Area and Zero, which refers to the Swedish Parliament’s vision for road safety work which delivers zero fatalities and serious injuries on the roads in Sweden.