Although both have been ranked pretty well in safety measures, Volvo surpasses Audi in the safety category.
Volvo has made its mark when it comes to safety features. They literally started their company to provide better safety to their customers. Audi has also been around for some time and is pretty good at safety measures. However, they can’t quite compete with Volvo in safety features.
Car safety features
Car safety basically means how a car would handle any type of crash. Car safety has always been an important priority for many people and car safety features have been divided into two types, active safety features and passive safety features.
Active safety features
Active safety features consist of the factors that come in handy before a car crashes. They can be also be called car crash prevention measures. They include things such as the vehicle weight, center of gravity, balance and handling, as well as better driver seat adjustment and tire grip.
Safety equipment that is considered active safety includes collision warning, electronic stability control, back-up sensors and an anti-lock braking system.
Passive safety features
These features come in handy if a car is crashed. These systems activate automatically on impact to help to reduce injury and provide safety to the passengers. Passive safety features include laminated glass, airbags, electronic pedestrian protection systems, and seatbelts.
Testing methods
There are several car safety testing organizations that test vehicles and give them ratings based on their safety and crash prevention features. Some renowned organizations are the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
Cars are processed through a rigorous testing phase and tested with frontal, back and side collision test scenarios. These organizations then rate the cars based on their effectiveness in these tests.
Audi Safety Ratings
Audi has been doing really well in safety features, and they have been ranked decently lately. In 2021, some Audi models even received top safety awards from the IIHS. Eight of their models have been ranked in IIHS rankings. This makes Audi a pretty safe brand. The award-winning cars include the A5 Sportsback, the Q8, the e-tron and the A6.
Audi Safety Features
Audi has improved lately in the braking category. It also introduced pre-sense driver assistance technology. This technology uses cameras and can alert the driver of any potential accident situations. At speed below 25 mph, it can prevent serious accidents. It can also protect the pedestrians when the car is traveling at speeds up to 52 mph.
Audis are also equipped with adaptive cruise control and a top view camera system. This system helps the driver to keep a safe distance from other cars. German cars have always been good in terms of safety measures, and Audi proves it.
Volvo Safety Ratings
Volvo, the sensible Swedish company that it is, has always been a trademark for car safety. Safety has always been their number one priority and their cars have been ranked five stars every year. The Volvo XC90 was rewarded with five stars by the NHTSA and is one of the safest cars in the world. The IIHS also ranked the Volvo V60s in their top safety pick+ just this year.
Volvo has made their top-of-the-line car safety a priority for years with a focus on structural integrity and safety features. Among Volvo’s small lineup of seven vehicles, they have all have been awarded by safety awards in their own categories.
Volvo Safety Features
Volvo was the first carmaker to invent some safety features like:
- A blind spot information system
- Pedestrian detection with braking
- Three-point seatbelts
- Rear-facing child seat
Volvo uses extra high-strength body material to provide an exceptional protection cage. All Volvos come with standard safety features like:
- Electronic Stability Control
- Roll Stability Control
- Driver Alert Control
- Inflatable curtains
- Whiplash protection
- Lane-keeping aid
Which is safer? Volvo, for sure.
Audi scored an average USN Safety Score of 9.56 out of 10. This is a pretty good score in terms of safety. However, Volvo scored a much-higher average USN Safety Score of 9.90/10. The IIHS and NHTSA rankings have also always ranked Volvo as one of the best.
In the end, both cars have pretty good safety features and crash prevention, but Volvo just wins the battle. Volvo has a long history of ensuring its customers of the best quality safety measures. Maybe some time in the future Audi will surpass Volvo, but for now, Volvo comfortably wins.
FAQ
What are the safest cars?
While safe cars can help prevent accidents and minimize injuries, car safety ultimately depends on the driver. There are some very safe car brands like Volvo, Genesis, or Toyota. Some of the safest models in different car brands include:
- Volvo XC90
- Toyota Camry
- Tesla Model 3
- Genesis G90
- Honda Insight
- Audi A6
What are the least safe cars?
Some of the recent car models that have had safety issues include:
- Ford Fiesta- IIHS observed 141 driver deaths per million.
- Hyundai Accent- IIHS observed 116 driver deaths per million.
- Chevrolet Sonic compact sedan- IIHS observed 98 driver deaths per million.
What are some cars safety tips?
Prevention is always better than a cure. Even the safest car won’t keep you safe if you’re a reckless and careless driver. Follow these safety tips to help prevent accidents.
- Always have your focus on the road.
- Always check your tires before any long journey.
- Check your lights.
- Always check the fuel or battery percentage.
- Always be predictable and avoid suddenly braking.
- Always fasten your seat belt.
- Always use turn signals.
How to choose a safe car
You have plenty of options to look for a safe car. Check for basic safety features like ABS braking and airbags. You can also look at the reviews of cars at car reviewing websites like JD Power. And, of course, check out the safety ratings by the IIHS and the NHTSA.
