Anatomy of a car crash - Crash testing: how it works

Watching a real-life crash test is almost as eye-watering as a real accident. There's the same sickening sound of metal tearing on metal, to a backdrop of shattering glass, followed by an absolute stillness before passers-by leap into action.

In a test, however, the passers-by are engineers, and the limp bodies in the car are the crash test dummies, each electronically recording the likely impact of the crash on a human body. Up to 30 high-speed cameras capture every moment from every angle, to help evaluate how cars respond to a particular type of accident.

At its Child Safety Seminar in Sweden, Volvo demonstrated a crash test involving two families, each with two children. We've got the results on video, showing that if
children (and adults) are properly restrained in a car, they dramatically improve their chances of surviving a crash.

We've also got some footage of early crash tests that make shocking viewing. Despite the huge advances in safety made by many manufacturers, traffic is still the number one cause of injury to children.

• Volvo crash test footage on Windows Media
• Volvo crash test footage on on Real Player