AstaZero – the world's first full-scale test environment for future road safety – is being inaugurated today
PRESS RELEASE FROM ASTAZERO, CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND SP TECHNICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SWEDEN
The world's first full-scale test environment for future road safety is being inaugurated on 21 August. It will provide vehicle manufacturers, research institutes, universities and colleges from all over the world with unique opportunities to develop new solutions for increased road safety. The AstaZero facility, which has cost about SEK 500 million, is located outside Borås, Sweden. It 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 which take over the driver's role and make correct decisions at lightning speed which enable the car to brake, get out of the way and avoid head-on collisions. Autonomous, self-driving cars are another innovation which belongs to the future.
According to the UN, roughly 1.2 million people are killed in traffic accidents every year globally. 20-30 million are injured every year. The costs for the already overloaded health services are astronomic.
"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 AstaZero. From motorways to urban environments made up of blocks. Furthermore, 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.
Read more on www.astazero.com
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For further information:
Pether Wallin, CEO AstaZero, +46 76 777 74 00, pether.wallin@astazero.com
Staffan Ljung, press officer at SP, +46 70 672 89 70, staffan.ljung@sp.se
Christian Borg, Head of Media Relations, Chalmers University of Technology, +46 766 31 42 35, christian.borg@chalmers.se
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