Hariphil Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Volvo Cars in the Philippines, is marking Women’s Month by spotlighting Volvo’s long-standing focus on inclusive automotive safety, a message that also coincides with the 70th anniversary of the three-point seatbelt.
The twin milestones underscore the Swedish carmaker’s broader safety legacy, particularly its efforts to design protection systems that account for a wider range of occupants. Among those developments is the world’s first computer model of a pregnant crash test dummy, created to simulate late-stage pregnancy when both mother and fetus are most vulnerable in a collision. Volvo said the virtual testing model has been used across all of its vehicles since 2002 to better study how seatbelts and airbags protect both mother and child.
That work aligns with Volvo’s E.V.A. Initiative, or Equal Vehicles for All, which draws on decades of real-world crash data to advance more inclusive vehicle design. When the program was launched in March 2019, Volvo research found that women were 71% more likely to be injured and 17% more likely to die in car crashes, largely because safety systems had historically been developed using male crash-test data.
In response, the initiative opened more than 40 years of safety research to the wider automotive industry in a bid to encourage collaboration on more representative safety standards. The program later earned global recognition, including a Gold Pencil at The One Show 2020.
Volvo’s push for inclusive safety also builds on the enduring impact of the three-point seatbelt, widely regarded as one of the most significant life-saving innovations in automotive history. The company said this legacy now extends to newer systems such as Safe Space Technology and the multi-adaptive seatbelt, reinforcing its human-centric approach to vehicle development.
“Volvo has always believed that safety should be designed for everyone, including women,” said Ms. Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, Vice Chairman, President, and CEO of HARI.
“Celebrating Women’s Month and the 70th anniversary of the three-point seatbelt, we honor Volvo’s legacy of life-saving innovation while reinforcing our mission to make every journey safer, more inclusive, and designed with people in mind. As the official distributor of Volvo Cars in the Philippines, we uphold these principles locally, ensuring that Volvo’s innovations in safety, inclusivity, and human-centric design are delivered to Filipino drivers and passengers,” Ms. Perez-Agudo added.
She said Volvo’s work, from the development of the pregnant crash test dummy to broader inclusive vehicle safety systems, reflects a sustained commitment to protecting lives on the road.
“The pioneering work Volvo has done in advancing automotive safety for women from the development of the pregnant crash test dummy to inclusive vehicle safety systems underscores the brand’s unwavering commitment to protecting every life on the road,” she concluded.
As Women’s Month puts greater attention on equity and representation, Volvo’s safety message serves as a reminder that automotive innovation is most effective when it is built around real people. For the Philippine market, HARI said that means continuing to bring Volvo’s safety, inclusivity, and innovation-led design to local drivers and passengers.