Volvo Marks Women’s Month and the 70th Anniversary of the Three-Point Seatbelt, Reinforcing Its Legacy of Inclusive Safety
Hariphil Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Volvo Cars in the Philippines, joins the global celebration of Women’s Month by underscoring Volvo’s enduring commitment to safety innovations that protect every occupant on the road. This year’s observance coincides with the 70th anniversary of the three-point seatbelt, one of the most important automotive safety innovations in history.
Together, these milestones highlight Volvo’s long-standing dedication to inclusive safety, reflected in pioneering research such as the development of the world’s first computer model of a pregnant crash test dummy. This advanced “virtual” model represents a woman in the later stages of pregnancy when both mother and fetus are most vulnerable in collisions and allows engineers to study in detail how safety systems such as seatbelts and airbags protect both mother and child. This testing has been used in all Volvo models since 2002.
This commitment to designing vehicles that protect everyone is further reinforced through Volvo’s E.V.A. Initiative (Equal Vehicles for All), a program built on decades of real-world safety data aimed at advancing more inclusive vehicle design and improving protection for all road users.
When the initiative was first introduced in March 2019, Volvo’s research revealed that women were 71% more likely to be injured and 17% more likely to die in car crashes, largely because vehicle safety systems had historically been designed and tested using male crash-test data. These findings highlighted a long-standing gap in safety development and underscored the need for more representative research.
In response, Volvo’s E.V.A. Initiative opened more than four decades of safety data to the global automotive industry, encouraging broader collaboration with all car manufacturers in developing more inclusive safety standards. The research data illustrated how safety inequalities affect women and emphasized the importance of designing vehicles that account for a wider range of occupants. The initiative received global recognition, including a Gold Pencil at The One Show 2020.
By integrating pioneering research efforts with life-saving innovations such as the three-point seatbelt, and now Safe Space Technology and the multi-adaptive seatbelt; Volvo continues to set global standards in automotive safety while reinforcing its mission to design vehicles around people, ensuring safer and more inclusive mobility not just for women of all shapes, ages, and sizes, but for everyone.
In celebration of Women’s Month, this innovation underscores Volvo’s dedication to inclusive safety systems that consider the unique needs of women, particularly those in critical stages of life. By applying these insights across its vehicles, Volvo ensures that all occupants — mothers, children, and the broader family receive the highest standard of protection.
From pioneering the three-point seatbelt to advancing crash simulation technologies, Volvo continues to lead the automotive industry with human-centric engineering and inclusive safety design. These efforts reflect the brand’s unwavering commitment to protecting every life on the road and shaping a future where safety, sustainability, and innovation go hand in hand.
“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.
“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.
Experience Volvo’s award-winning innovation firsthand. Visit Volvo Makati and schedule a test drive today. For inquiries or bookings, contact +63 908 891 4286 or inquiry@volvocarsph.com. Discover how Volvo continues to set the standard in safety, sustainability, and Scandinavian luxury.