Customers

MATERIAL IMPACTS AND RISKS AND THEIR INTERACTION WITH STRATEGY AND BUSINESS MODEL

Impacts in the area of customers’ personal security

During its materiality assessment, the Volkswagen Group identified an actual and potential positive impact in the downstream value chain in the area of customers’ personal security, including in relation to the protection of health in vehicles. In the following, the term ‘customers’ is used as an umbrella term for consumers and (end) users within the meaning of the ESRS. The types of customer taken into consideration include vehicle drivers and occupants. A further focus is placed on the protection of vulnerable road users (such as cyclists and pedestrians) and other groups who could potentially be involved in accidents. Active and passive safety and security systems make a positive contribution to reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from road traffic accidents. The duration of the potential positive impact is classified as long term.

Furthermore, the materiality assessment identified an actual and potential negative impact in the area of product safety in the form of individual incidents in the downstream value chain. When driving in traffic, users of vehicles from all manufacturers have the potential to be involved in accidents, which could result in the vehicle driver and occupants sustaining a negative impact on their health. The Volkswagen Group is aware of its responsibility and is constantly working on avoiding accidents and mitigating the consequences of accidents. For the evaluation of impacts, various groups of users and occupants are considered and it is examined whether special requirements apply to certain user groups and whether these need to be taken into consideration. As the relevance of software and connectivity in vehicles increases, the abstract risk of unauthorized access rises, with potential impacts on the safety of the vehicle and thus also for the associated legal interests of customers. The potential impact is classified as long term.

Interaction with strategy and business model

The impacts identified in the materiality assessment have an influence on the Group’s business model, strategy and value chain. At an overarching level, the topic of vehicle safety is embedded in the safety strategy. Thus, the safety of our customers is a focus around the world. The Arbeitskreis Sicherheitssystem (AKS – Safety System Working Group) has been set up for this purpose, coordinates safety issues on a cross-brand basis within the Volkswagen Group and sets out requirements.

The Volkswagen Group takes the following actions in the area of customers to exert influence over the impacts on its business, strategy, business model and value chain identified during the materiality assessment: Internal safety provisions and the implementation of safety technology are intended to enhance the positive impact on customers in the area of personal security.

The safety strategy is developed by the AKS and presented to the Group Board of Management Committee for Technology for approval. The Ausschuss Produktsicherheit (APS – Product Safety Committee) is responsible for ensuring the safety of products placed on the market. The product safety and conformity policy to be implemented Group-wide sets out that the responsible manufacturers are required to establish their own APS, but also imposes an obligation that the APS must be called on whenever safety-related incidents occur.

An extensive overview and explanation of actions in this action area are provided under “Actions: personal safety of customers”.

POLICIES: PERSONAL SAFETY OF CUSTOMERS

In order to continuously reduce the number and severity of road traffic accidents involving its vehicles, the Volkswagen Group has set up a variety of interlinked management systems, which constitute a Group-wide governance policy for vehicle safety. The policy forms the basis for a high standard of product quality and for adherence to legal and official regulations, internal safety provisions and consumer protection requirements, among other things.

This includes the ongoing focus on high safety standards for mechanical, mechatronic and electronic systems, as well as the functional safety of vehicles. Building on this, a number of management systems are codified in Group policies, which systematically embed these safety standards, applicable norms and the state of the art into the design, development, production and testing of vehicles at the brand companies. These policies always address all three levels: legal requirements, internal safety provisions and consumer protection standards. This section introduces the safety strategy and Group policies.

Safety strategy

In an effort to embed existing systems for vehicle safety even further into the Volkswagen Group’s strategic policy, a Group-wide safety strategy is in place that has been approved by the Board of Management.

The vision behind the safety strategy is to make a contribution to global road safety. This involves reducing the number of severe injuries and fatalities in accidents involving vehicles from Volkswagen Group brands. Relevant and topical safety issues are compiled and developed for the purposes of accident prevention (active safety) and mitigation of the consequences of accidents (passive/integral safety).

The safety strategy aims to work towards a high level of protection for customers and others involved in accidents through the application of modern technology. As a result, the consolidated expertise available within the Group enables consumer protection requirements to be addressed, along with internal and external safety provisions and statutory requirements, and it can also be applied across the Group in a market-specific approach. Actual and potential negative impacts on customers’ health and safety can arise as a result of deficiencies or quality problems, for example. By complying with the safety requirements addressed, the Volkswagen Group counteracts these impacts. The aim of this is to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries and, as a result, achieve the actual and potential positive impact.

The safety developments in the brands set the strategic direction based on the safety strategy, which is pursued in bodies including the Group AKS Committee.

Should any need for updates to the safety strategy arise, this is reviewed by the heads of safety development at the brands and the strategy is refined as required.

Automotive cybersecurity management system Group policy

To counteract the risk of unauthorized access to vehicles and their digital offerings, the Volkswagen Group has developed requirements for an automotive cybersecurity management system (ACSMS) in its automotive cybersecurity management system Group policy. This mitigates the potential negative impact on customer’s health and safety in the form of manipulation of digital systems. Legal regulations – including regulation 155, cybersecurity and cybersecurity management system (UN-R 155) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) – define the requirements for vehicle and software development. These also have an extensive impact on our IT systems.

To be able to manage the risk of cyberattacks on vehicles and take appropriate action to mitigate these both now and in the future, the Volkswagen Group continuously optimizes the automotive cybersecurity management systems in all Group brands. Information on procedures and products is shared across the brands. The primary focus during this approach is on the protection of customers.

A further goal of the ACSMS is to increase automotive cybersecurity across the product lifecycle of a vehicle and its digital ecosystem. As the level of digitalization in the vehicle, connectivity, and shared mobility increases, the topic of cybersecurity becomes more of a concern for customers’ health and safety.

The ACSMS employs policies and control measures to define how automotive cybersecurity should be established and maintained in order to prevent unauthorized access. The effectiveness of the ACSMS with corresponding certification has been confirmed in each case by the type approval authorities responsible for the Group brands. This was always preceded by an external audit to verify compliance with the UNECE regulation, UN-R 155. Annual monitoring audits are performed during the validity period.

The ACSMS Group policy applies as a minimum standard for all controlled companies in the Volkswagen Group that obtain type approvals for vehicles, that have interfaces or relevant processes with companies that apply for type approval and/or develop or operate parts of the digital ecosystem for these vehicles, or provide and execute software updates for vehicles.

The Head of Group Quality Management, Digitalization and IT is responsible for defining this ACSMS Group policy. The most senior level of management (Board of Management or managing directors) at each relevant Group company is responsible for its implementation.

Product safety and conformity Group policy

The product safety and conformity Group policy has an important function, particularly with regard to the personal safety of customers. It defines uniform Group-wide standards in order to comply with legal obligations and achieve our own ambitions in terms of taking responsibility for the products brought onto the market. For this reason, the applicable legal and official regulations and other legally binding standards must be observed, a system for the active and passive observation of the products put on the market must be maintained, and any risks liable to arise from such products must be averted to the extent that this is possible and reasonable.

The Volkswagen Group companies that manufacture vehicles or have them produced and place them on the market as the responsible manufacturers are responsible for implementing the product safety and conformity Group policy. In the Volkswagen Group those are the brand companies and full-function companies or co-entrepreneurs. They are responsible for transposing and implementing the policy into their own regulations, e.g. an organizational guideline, and standards.

Responsibility for the safety and conformity of products lies with the manufacturing brands and full-function companies or co-entrepreneurs. The board of the brand company delegates responsibility for ensuring that any requisite action to guarantee the safety and conformity of products brought onto the market is initiated in good time to a respective APS set up or to be set up at the brand company. The board or the management of a full-function company or co-entrepreneur delegates these tasks via a service contract with the brand controlling company of its brand to the APS of the corresponding brand company.

Commitment to human rights

Respect for human rights is of paramount importance to the Volkswagen Group. We are convinced that sustainable economic activity is only possible by acting ethically and with integrity. Within the framework of our entrepreneurial activities, we are fully committed to our responsibility regarding human rights. A detailed description of human rights commitments can be found in the chapter “Employees and non-employees” under “Policies: employees and non-employees”. The whistleblower system and the introduction of remedial actions are used to communicate with any parties affected. A detailed description of this is provided in the “Business conduct information” chapter under “Whistleblower system”.

PROCESSES: ENGAGING WITH CUSTOMERS

Consideration of the activities of consumer protection organizations

In order to familiarize itself with the interests, experiences and perspectives of its vehicles’ users and also take these into account, the Volkswagen Group works at brand level with various national and international consumer protection organizations as credible proxies of vehicle users. The AKS is responsible for any overarching organization of cooperation with consumer protection authorities and industry groups with regard to safety matters. The Group works in cooperation with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the China Insurance Safety Index, for example, as well as the respective national and regional associations within the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, for instance, has regulations in place to ensure that contact partners or liaison offices with suitable contacts for consumer protection organizations are implemented. This responsibility is assigned to the person responsible for Global Safety Affairs within the main Safety System Development department at Volkswagen AG. Any resulting requirements are dealt with in liaison with all Group brands as part of the AKS to ensure that all information available within the Volkswagen Group is known to all parties. Updates or changes to the rating process are dealt with and reported on in the AKS.

As part of the ongoing adjustment of their standards, the respective NCAPs publish regular updates, which are known as road maps. Updates are communicated at industry meetings, in announcements on their websites, or via e-mail. The Group communicates and meets with consumer protection organizations with regard to specific topics and projects. The frequency of this communication depends on the respective NCAP’s road map. Information and requirements from the NCAPs form part of the safety strategy and are applied during product development. These processes are described under “Processes: remedial processes and reporting channels”.

The effectiveness of cooperation can be verified by the vehicle ratings awarded by consumer protection organizations, such as the star ratings assigned by NCAP.

Cooperation on remedial processes

Two additional forms of dialog with customers who are affected by a security matter and cybersecurity failings exist as part of the passive product observation process and, where required, through investigations and the implementation of action. The remedial process including dialog formats for both processes is described under “Processes: remedial processes and reporting channels”.

PROCESSES: REMEDIAL PROCESSES AND REPORTING CHANNELS

Remedial process for security matters

Any indications of a safety-relevant matter that arise from passive or active product observation are analyzed by the divisions (for example Technical Development, Production). This analysis covers factors such as frequency of occurrence, the cause of the damage, the components affected and any other Group models affected.

If the case is confirmed as being safety-relevant, the APS must be consulted, in line with the regulations applicable in the Group. It then decides on any requisite and expedient measures to guarantee the safety and conformity of products brought onto the market. This can include, for example, the decision to run a recall campaign, launch a workshop service campaign, extend warranty services, or halt production.

The implementation of any action approved by the APS is initiated and coordinated by the Product Safety department. This department’s primary duties include identifying the vehicles affected, preparing and coordinating any work instructions, commissioning the stocking of replacement parts, and defining the action’s start date.

Operational responsibility for implementation depends on the type of action to be taken. Most cases relate to field measures, which are implemented by the dealership organizations and their partner workshops. The importers are responsible for supervising and controlling the implementation process. The measure’s effectiveness is recorded through active and passive product observation. It is also monitored based on the measure’s implementation rate.

Any orders and measures passed by the APS are binding for all divisions, including any companies affected by the case. The APS office is responsible for monitoring any orders and measures passed by the APS to make sure they are implemented on time. Where necessary, the APS office reports the current status to the APS.

Dialog formats

Dialog with customers takes place at various stages of the process. For instance, through passive product observation, customer complaints that are submitted to dealerships or workshops or posted on social media or online forums are taken into account in investigations, as is any contact via the customer hotline or with the brands’ Customer Care departments. Throughout the entire process, responsibility for communication with customers lies with the departments in question, such as After Sales, Marketing and Communication.

Further dialog can take place as remediation is taking place on the market. Where the APS decides on action to be taken, importers have a duty under their importer contract to implement the measures through their partner businesses. During this process, affected vehicle owners are informed about what action is needed to remedy the potential safety issue (e.g. they are informed by post or in a face-to-face conversation at the workshop). The action can, for example, involve having a faulty component replaced at the workshop.

Remedial process for cybersecurity matters

Customers are able to contact authorized dealerships with any concerns related to the field of cybersecurity. The dealerships record these reports and, if necessary, forward them to the importer, who in turns passes them on to the manufacturer. Processes are put in place at the manufacturer so that the complaints are passed on to the responsible Incident Management department. If this department decides on and initiates any remedial measures, the remedial process described for field campaigns under the APS is employed. For changes to the product, the standard measures from the development processes apply, such as tests and quality assurance measures. Reviews are established to check whether cases within the support structure have been dealt with correctly. Based on these analyses, adjustments can be made to the processes and support structure.

Awareness measures and training for importers and dealerships have been put in place so that local employees know how to respond in an appropriate manner. Sample cases, which the local employees can use to follow the process more effectively, are one of the training strategies employed.

Dialog formats

Through the Security contact point set up, customers and security researchers (for example, non-governmental organizations or private individuals) are able to report suspected security vulnerabilities at https://www.volkswagen.de/de/mehr/rechtliches/kontakt-cyber-security.html. Customers can also report their concerns to their authorized dealership or the customer support hotline. Using an established support structure, such cases are forwarded to the responsible Incident Management department, where they are analyzed and assigned with appropriate actions. If specific actions need to be taken by the APS, the vehicle owner concerned is notified of the necessary steps to remedy the potential security issues, which could require a software update, for example. The goal of the cooperation is to identify and remedy cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the products at an early stage and take action to prevent the vulnerability being exploited by third parties. Operational responsibility for the car security incident process (CSI) is assigned to each brand’s Quality Assurance division. Customers interact with the departments responsible, e.g. Customer Experience or After Sales.

Reporting channels

The whistleblower system can also be used to report breaches of product safety and registration regulations. Safety-relevant reports are transferred to the remedial processes described. The availability of the whistleblower system and the protection of whistleblowers are described in more detail in the “Business conduct information” chapter.

Customers are also able to contact the Volkswagen Group via e-mail or a telephone hotline if they have complaints or feedback about its vehicles and services. Each brand’s website also lists contact channels that enable customers to report their concerns directly. In this context, each brand holds sole responsibility for assessing the effectiveness of its channels.

In the area of cybersecurity, the Volkswagen Group endeavors to identify security vulnerabilities and deal with these accordingly. It accepts reports from its customers and security researchers in relation to this. If customers detect any indication of a security vulnerability in their product, they are able to use the channels to communicate this directly to the respective brands. These reports are then tracked by the brands as part of their established clarification processes.

• vulnerability@volkswagen.de (Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles)
• vulnerability@audi.de (AUDI)
• security@skoda-auto.cz (Škoda)
• vulnerability@seat.es (SEAT)
• security@porsche.de (Porsche)

The safety-related complaints that customers submit through the brands’ reporting channels are tracked and monitored by the brands. In this context, each brand holds sole responsibility for assessing the effectiveness of its channels.

A review of whether customers know and trust the customer portals and are protected against retaliation therefore does not take place at Group level.

ACTIONS: PERSONAL SAFETY OF CUSTOMERS

In addition to the policies described and the safety and security strategy, the Volkswagen Group also takes action to help keep its vehicles’ safety and security technology up-to-date, particularly in relation to avoiding accidents and mitigating their effects. This action includes researching vehicle safety and security, studying safety-relevant issues – including under the structure of the AKS – and integrating relevant content into projects in the Product Development Process (PEP – Produktentwicklungsprozess). Through its cooperation with regional consumer protection organizations, the Volkswagen Group is committed to safety and security standards. As a result, the Volkswagen Group brings about an actual and potential positive impact on vehicle safety and security standards, which can influence the health of our customers by preventing accidents and mitigating their effects. Within the context of the ESRS, the Volkswagen Group regards any actions that contribute to compliance with safety and security requirements as actions that contribute to the prevention, mitigation and remedy of any potential and actual negative impacts caused by its products. All actions that contribute to safety and security standards that go beyond the minimum standards required by law are regarded as actions that make a positive contribution to vehicle safety and security. Through its cooperation with consumer protection organizations and its increased internal safety requirements, the Volkswagen Group is helping to raise general vehicle safety and security standards, thus contributing to better road safety. In matters of vehicle safety and security, the prevailing law provides the Volkswagen Group with its minimum baseline for action. As such, there are no internal processes that contradict compliance with these provisions.

If security weaknesses still manage to arise, there are a range of measures that apply to vehicles already brought onto the market and that can provide a remedy in the event of a security risk. Through this, the Group counteracts the potential and actual negative impact on customers’ health and safety, which arises and can arise due to security vulnerabilities. In matters related to cybersecurity, the Group has the option of working with customers and security researchers, who are able to report potential security vulnerabilities. These are evaluated in the CSI process and remedied if required. As a result of the lessons learned process, the clarification of a particular matter can generate remedial action and also have impacts for the strategy, the ACSMS or product development. Incident Management interfaces with Product Development, which enables lessons learned that are relevant to the development of future products to be integrated directly. The dialog takes place on an ad hoc basis in the context of the evaluation. Through active and passive product observation, vehicles already brought onto the market are monitored for previously undetectable product risks. The APS decides on any requisite measures to guarantee the safety and conformity of products brought onto the market. APS members independently inform their respective divisions of the activities of the APS and on any lessons learned for the division in question as a result of the matter. Via the lessons learned process, any knowledge gained can flow back into upstream processes (e.g. the development of new products), thus enabling the entire process to be improved on an ongoing basis.

Within the Volkswagen Group, the AKS, the ACSMS, the APS are responsible for defining and implementing actions in the areas of vehicle safety and cybersecurity. Due to their personnel resources, these bodies have a continuous positive influence over material impacts on customers. In some cases, the brands are also responsible for implementation. Plans are in place to retain all the actions described in the future.

Actions related to the safety strategy

The following actions related to the safety strategy contribute to the management of both negative and positive impacts on the safety and security of our customers in the area of product development. In this context, the Group cooperates with parties including consumer protection organizations, suppliers, research institutes and other stakeholders relevant to vehicle safety, as well as with other internal stakeholders such as Development, Quality Assurance, Legal, etc.

Safety System Working Group

The cross-group Arbeitskreis Sicherheitssystem (AKS – Safety System Working Group) deals with the coordination and definition of the cross-brand safety requirements set out in the safety strategy. The committee is made up of representatives from the brands’ Safety System Development departments and various additional participants depending on the agenda. The committee focuses on the following topics and duties in particular:

• Definition and coordination of safety requirements for all topics related to integral safety (including: active and passive safety and pre- and post-crash) and their allocation to topic-specific interface areas and the responsible organizational units within the brands’ Development divisions
• Synchronization on issues from consumer protection organizations, for example
• Development of a stance on new requirements or development and coordination for new consumer protection requirements
• Identification and coordination of global pre-development, component development and function development
• Coordination and tracking of research on all topics related to integral safety

The committee’s quarterly meetings and the content discussed in these form a central action in the implementation of the safety strategy. Since the committee works on both external and internal safety requirements and consumer protection regulations, its work affects vehicle safety and security.

Current safety-relevant issues are dealt with in individual topic-specific working groups and in a cross-sectional working group, which are also made up of representatives from the brands’ Product Development divisions. Topics can either be addressed proactively by the working groups and added to the AKS’s agenda, or they are commissioned by the central AKS team. Topic-related investigations can result, for example, from the reassessment of rating-relevant topics, an examination of the impact of legislative changes, tests on new safety technology, or topic-specific competitive analyses. There are a total of 19 different working groups and cross-sectional working groups, each of which deals with different areas of safety, such as child safety, pedestrian protection, e-mobility and airbags. They meet three to four times a year to work on these topics.

Meeting and implementing safety objectives

The implementation of safety objectives (internal, external and those specified by consumer protection bodies) is integrated into the Product Development Process (PEP – Produktentwicklungsprozess). The PEP contains processes to define how safety objectives are developed and created and, as such, to transfer the safety strategy into the product. For example, the safety measures required during the development of a new model are set out in the form of a technical product description and communicated so that they can be implemented.

In this context, the preparation of a technical product description is an important step in the PEP. It systematically records which legal, internal and consumer-protection objectives need to be met. According to the requirements that need to be met, the document defines which active and passive safety technology needs to be installed in a model.

The PEP is a recommendation from the Volkswagen Group, which has to be adapted in accordance with the legal and organizational characteristics of the respective company and implemented by integrating it into the corresponding quality management system.

Group Accident Research

Just like the main Safety System Development department, Group Accident Research is guided by the vision of a road traffic system with zero serious injuries or fatalities – bound by the limits of what is technically feasible. It works on research topics that are conducive to this vision.

Various topics are actively researched for this purpose. Noteworthy topics include safety for groups of people with different attributes (for example safety for different bodily weights, heights, ages) and compatibility in different accident configurations (for example vehicle against pedestrian, heavy Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) against lightweight urban car) to provide context to existing research outcomes and derive conclusions.

Group Accident Research actively receives requests for research from the Development departments of the Group companies or proactively puts forward its own topics. Safety System Development often approaches Accident Research with topics that it is already aware of and has specific questions about, and Accident Research then responds to these according to scientific standards. Group Accident Research is active across the brands as a Group-wide function.

Actions related to the automotive cybersecurity management system Group policy

Car security incident process

The CSI process is intended to ensure that the cause of a vehicle safety incident is identified, assessed by an expert and rectified by implementing suitable measures. The principles of our automotive cybersecurity management system include reviewing and monitoring vehicles and their digital ecosystem for cyber threats throughout their life cycle. Adequate risk assessment of cybersecurity risks must continue to be maintained so that the Volkswagen Group can identify cybersecurity incidents and act when they occur. These principles flow into the cross-brand CSI process. The company becomes aware of potential incidents through the ongoing monitoring of internal (e.g. Technical Development) and external (internet, reports) sources. The process also serves as a driving force and coordinator between the supporting areas for analyzing vulnerabilities and taking appropriate remedial action. Risks are assessed and response plans are drawn up and tracked. If a field campaign is identified as necessary, the process is passed on to the responsible APS. Methods for identification, tracking and follow-up have been developed and decision-making and control committees have been established to support implementation of the process. The process has been fully implemented and is applied across the Group.

This action focuses on products that have already been brought onto the market and applies to all markets where Volkswagen Group products are sold. The CSI is designed to be event-oriented based on incidents and reports. In contrast, vulnerability monitoring is an ongoing process. The aim of this approach is to help ensure that, where possible, no vulnerability related to Volkswagen Group products remains undetected.

The processes leading up to remedial action are described in more detail under “Processes: remedial processes and reporting channels”.

Actions related to the product safety and conformity Group policy

Product observation

The Volkswagen Group has implemented a comprehensive product observation system, which is run by the responsible organizational units in accordance with set regulations. This action involves both active and passive product observation to guarantee the safety and conformity of products brought onto the market.

Active product observation includes the regular and automatic capture and evaluation of data and information relating to issues that may be relevant to safety and security. This is achieved by implementing suitable assessment measures, such as spot checks, analyzing vehicle-related mass data, monitoring trade press and the internet, including social media, and monitoring reports from market surveillance authorities.

Passive product observation involves the systematic logging of issues that may be relevant to safety and security arising from individual safety-relevant reports, such as indication of a risk to life, limb or health or to personal property, reports from importers and dealerships, customer complaints, complaints from authorities, and accident reports.

The goal of these actions is to identify potential safety risks in vehicles already on the market at an early stage. As soon as there is indication of a safety-relevant matter, the logged data and information is immediately subjected to a more in-depth technical analysis and, if necessary, a risk assessment. Based on the facts determined, actions are taken that serve to protect the people who come into contact with the product.

This responsibility for product observation is borne by one or more organizational units defined by the board of the respective Volkswagen Group company. The scope of product observation and the scope of the actions derived from this are based on the level of risk, with motor vehicles and their replacement parts and accessories requiring closer and more extensive monitoring than other products given their increased potential for danger.

TARGETS: PERSONAL SECURITY OF CUSTOMERS

No measurable, outcome-oriented targets within the meaning of the ESRS are defined in relation to vehicle safety.

The effectiveness of the policies and actions in relation to the positive and negative impacts identified through the double materiality assessment performed this year for the first time are currently not monitored.

Nevertheless, the sum of the policies and actions presented contribute to the Group’s efforts to ensure road traffic safety for customers. With this, the Volkswagen Group pursues the vision of its safety strategy. The following actions and processes are established for determining effectiveness.

Product development

Effectiveness and the ambition level are tracked through compliance with internal and external safety regulations and through the monitoring of vehicle ratings issued by consumer protection organizations, such as the Euro NCAP star ratings. During the model development process, the technical product description sets out the objectives for safety standards. These objectives, among other things, are used as a guideline during product development.

Group Accident Research

The effectiveness of safety technology is determined, on the one hand, via a 24/7 on-call service, which the federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt use to log accidents. To this end, the Group works closely with both states’ Ministries for Interior and Sport and their state police forces. On the one hand, any vehicles involved in accidents are carefully assessed by Accident Research and the effectiveness of their safety technology is examined. On the other hand, accident research data is also reviewed and evaluated, such as accident statistics from various states and countries and accident databases, including the German In-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS) database. Both positive feedback – for instance, when measures achieve their intended outcome – and negative feedback in the form of suggested improvements are evaluated at regular intervals. The results are communicated to both the relevant departments as well as to the AKS and the specially established Accident Research Conference.

Car security incident process

As part of an effectiveness assessment, checks are carried out to determine whether actions have reached the relevant parties, e.g. Development, and been incorporated into vehicle production. After an incident has been dealt with, the CSI committees run through a lessons learned process if necessary so as to review the CSI process itself.