Accident research at Volkswagen is carried out 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as it has been for the past 20 years or so. The Volkswagen accident research technicians work closely with the engineering and development departments to lower the risk of accidents.

"Every accident is evaluated in detail," says Ralf Tenzer the department head. "The federal statistics that summarise accidents and injuries are not detailed enough to be able to do this. If a current Volkswagen brand model is involved in an accident, the investigators at Volkswagen use cameras and measuring equipment to document a wide range of details in the shortest possible time: such as the damage to the vehicles, their location and braking distances."

Tenzer heads an eight-person team who analyse around 120 accidents every year. This involves them attending the actual scenes of accidents. "Our goal is to develop a safe and comfortable car for all. It is only possible to increase security effectively and efficiently with the correct interaction of the various components," says Tenzer.