Another thing to consider is to what extent each manufacturer hyper-optimizes to pass safety tests (vs actually focusing on safety). I’m having trouble finding a good source for this, but I’ve heard that Volvo has a reputation for doing internal safety testing that goes beyond what NHTSA tests (which would make them safer than safety rankings indicate).
I used to work for Volvo Cars, and though I didn’t work on safety directly, I remember that people there took pride in and spent significant energy and effort on safety. This was about a decade ago though.
Another thing to consider is to what extent each manufacturer hyper-optimizes to pass safety tests (vs actually focusing on safety). I’m having trouble finding a good source for this, but I’ve heard that Volvo has a reputation for doing internal safety testing that goes beyond what NHTSA tests (which would make them safer than safety rankings indicate).
For example, they introduced their “Side Impact Production System” in 1991 (https://www.volvocars.com/us/v/car-safety/safety-heritage) and NHTSA started testing for side crash production in 1996 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/ratings).
I don’t know to what extent they (still) do this but it’s something to consider in any metrics.
See also https://danluu.com/car-safety/
Thanks, that’s exactly the article I wanted to link to!
I used to work for Volvo Cars, and though I didn’t work on safety directly, I remember that people there took pride in and spent significant energy and effort on safety. This was about a decade ago though.