When I was growing up in rural Texas, it wasn’t a question of whether you would eventually collide with a deer while driving. It was more like an inevitability.
That’s evidently true for many Americans, who experience between 1 and 2 million crashes with large animals every year. But unlike my colleagues in Colorado and Montana, I’ve only had deer to worry about. They have to worry about an animal 10 times heavier: the moose. These 6-foot-tall giants can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and will absolutely destroy a vehicle in a head-on collision.
They pose an even greater threat in Scandinavia, where moose–car collisions cause thousands of crashes each year. That’s why Sweden-based Volvo has long investigated the specifics of this road hazard. The brand recently sent GearJunkie footage of its current testing, which shows an orange Volvo driving straight into an 800-pound, life-size moose dummy. (Spoiler: There’s lots of broken glass.)
The brand has spent decades on dummy testing aimed at improving its vehicles’ safety features in the event of a crash. Testing began with actual moose cadavers in the 1980s, before opting for various synthetic dummies. Volvo’s leaders claim this has led to improved safety for drivers facing off against these enormous animals — and some Volvo owners have voiced their appreciation for the brand after surviving major collisions.
Testing for Moose Collisions
It’s fascinating to see Volvo’s crash testing up close — and I can’t imagine watching a video of the early tests. A research paper from 1989 details Volvo’s earlier testing involving actual moose cadavers: “The cadaver test indicated that the moose could be described mainly as a water-filled sack in this kind of impact.” (Thanks, science!)
Since then, the brand moved on to synthetic moose dummies. The first and second versions were both made during the mid-1980s. Volvo’s testers started with a dummy made of electrical wires in bundles, and a wooden beam for the spine. The second version used 20 impermeable compartments filled with high-pressure water hoses.
These days, however, they use a moose dummy that’s constructed from 116 rubber discs connected by steel parts, weighing a total of 794 pounds. According to Volvo’s leaders, these tests have resulted in several specific design changes.
“The moose crash test dummy … has mainly helped advance the design of the structure around the windshield, including the A-pillars, roof beams, and windshield retention,” Lotta Jakobsson, the senior technical specialist for safety at Volvo, said. “These improvements contribute to the overall structural integrity of the occupant compartment. Also, the safety belt pretensioners are activated in large-animal collisions, helping to further restrain the occupants. Together, these measures enhance occupant protection in severe large-animal impacts.”
In 2016, Volvo began releasing vehicles with a feature called Large Animal Detection. This safety feature uses cameras and radar to identify large animals in the car’s path and automatically braking before impact. In recent years, various forms of automatic braking has also been incorporated by many other car brands. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require all cars and light trucks in the U.S. to include automatic braking systems by 2029.
Close Calls With Animals
Several Volvo owners have shared images of their vehicles after surviving a crash with large animals.
Last month, a Reddit user praised his Volvo’s automatic braking system for reducing the damage to his vehicle during a collision with a deer on the highway. In an older post from 4 years ago, another user on the Volvo Reddit page shared an image of his busted windshield after colliding with a moose. The vehicle “saved my life today,” according to the post.
“Congrats on surviving the most Swedish automotive accident possible,” another Volvo owner replied.
Of course, automatic braking only helps prevent crashes with the animals ahead — not so much the vehicles behind you. That’s what happened to my mom a few months ago when she hit the brakes to avoid a pack of deer that leaped onto the road here in Stone Mountain, Ga. She ended up in a three-car collision as other vehicles crashed into her from behind. She was safe, thankfully, but her older Toyota Corolla was totaled.
Will the roads end up safer — for both humans and moose — if every vehicle can automatically hit the brakes for us? Only time will tell.
Read the full article here