After deployment of a low-speed collision avoidance system on the Volvo XC60 and S60, insurance claim frequency decreased by 15 and 16 percent, respectively, compared to similar vehicles.

Volvo evaluated the performance of City Safety technology using insurance data to compare against similar vehicles.

Date Posted
10/18/2017
Identifier
2017-B01192
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Volvo City Safety loss experience - an update

Summary Information

City Safety is a low-speed collision avoidance system released on the 2010 Volvo XC60 (midsize luxury SUV) and the 2011 S60 (midsize luxury car). The City Safety system has an infrared laser sensor built into the windshield that detects other vehicles traveling in the same direction up to 18 feet in front of the vehicle. The system initially reacts to slowing or stopped vehicles by pre-charging the brakes. The vehicle will brake automatically if forward collision risk is detected and the driver does not react in time, but only if travel speeds up to 19 mi/h. If the relative speed difference is less than 9 mi/h the collision is avoided entirely and if the speed difference is between 10 and 19 mi/hr the severity of the collision is reduced. This study evaluates the loss reductions corresponding to deployment of this system.



Methodology



Loss results for the XC60 were compared with other midsize luxury SUVs and loss results for the S60 were compared with other luxury cars. To control for the effects of characteristics of Volvo drivers, another analysis compared the XC60 and S60 loss experience with that of other Volvos. A Poisson distribution was used to model claim frequency per insured vehicle year and a gamma distribution was used to model average loss payment per claim (a measure of claim severity). Covariates included calendar year, model year, garaging state, vehicle density (number of vehicles registered per square mile), rated driver age, rated driver gender, marital status, collision deductible, and risk.

Findings

 

The XC60 had an actual claim frequency 15 percent lower than the average of midsize luxury SUVs and the S60’s actual claim frequency was 16 percent lower than the average of midsized luxury cars.

Claim severity was not significantly different from other luxury vehicles for both the XC60 and S60.

The results were similar when comparing the XC60 and S60 to other Volvos.

Goal Areas
Results Type