All Volvo's car models tested by the International Insurance Whiplash Prevention Group (IIWPG) have achieved "best class" rating.

Volvo Car Corporation is the only manufacturer to achieve the "best class" rating across its entire model range of vehicles.

"We are very pleased that the Volvo cars have performed in line with our expectations," says Ingrid Skogsmo, Safety Director at Volvo Car Corporation. "Tests only show a sliver of what happens in real life. However, this is one of several results to confirm Volvo has the right approach to help reduce neck injuries in rear impacts."

Volvo Car Corporation introduced Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) in 1998. In the WHIPS system the entire backrest is designed to help protect the occupant's neck in a rear impact. Today WHIPS is standard in all Volvo car models.

"After having the system in our cars in real life traffic for six years now, the feedback from Volvo Cars Accident Research Team shows that WHIPS has halved the risk of long-term neck injuries in rear-end impacts compared to prior Volvo seats. Also independent field studies have shown a significant injury reduction," says Dr Lotta Jacobsson, Technical Expert, Biomechanics, Volvo Cars Safety Centre.

All in all, IIWPG tested 208 front seats in the United States and Europe to measure how the head restraints are designed and how each head restraint performs in a crash simulation where the seat is placed on a sled that reproduces a rear impact at a speed of 16km/h (10mph).