Autoliv Launches Virtual Crash-Safety Platform, Toyota First to Test It
Autoliv is rolling out its HBM Safety Suite — a virtual platform that simulates how human bodies respond to crashes — with Toyota as the first customer evaluating it.
- ~40,000
- ~600,000
- $10.8 billion
What Happened
Autoliv, the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, announced on September 8, 2026 that it is advancing virtual testing through its Human Body Model (HBM) Safety Suite. The integrated platform combines an advanced digital Human Body Model for crash simulation with software tools for analysis, visualization, and decision-making. Toyota has been onboarded as the first customer to evaluate the platform's capabilities.
The Human Body Model is a detailed digital representation of human anatomy, giving engineers insight into occupant response and potential injury mechanisms that physical crash-test dummies cannot provide. According to Autoliv, virtual testing can analyze complex crash conditions that are difficult to replicate physically and is becoming an important complement to physical crash testing. As regulations and consumer rating programs move toward greater use of virtual methods, Autoliv says it is helping the industry meet evolving requirements, accelerate innovation, and improve protection for a more diverse range of occupants.
- Analyzes complex crash conditions that are difficult to replicate physically
- Supports shorter vehicle development cycles
- Responds to evolving safety requirements
- Provides earlier insights during vehicle development
“Virtual testing is becoming an increasingly important part of how the automotive industry advances vehicle safety. Autoliv's HBM Safety Suite provides detailed insights into how the human body may respond in a crash, helping engineers evaluate and optimize safety performance earlier in the development process. By combining advanced Human Body Models with dedicated analysis and visualization tools, we can support the development of safer vehicles and contribute to our vision of Saving More Lives.”
By transforming simulation data into clear, actionable insights, the suite is meant to help evaluate safety in virtual environments and optimize protection for a diverse range of occupants. Autoliv says that when used alongside physical crash tests, the platform adds insight into occupant response and injury mechanisms while also helping reduce lead times and improve cost efficiency. Toyota has recently started using the HBM Safety Suite to evaluate its capabilities as part of its virtual safety development activities. Autoliv plans to make the platform available more broadly across the industry in 2026.
Why this matters
Physical crash tests alone cannot cover every complex crash condition, and carmakers face shorter development cycles plus evolving safety rules. Autoliv says regulations and consumer safety ratings are moving toward virtual methods, so tools that spot injury risks earlier could help automakers develop safer vehicles and protect a broader range of occupants. Toyota's involvement marks early industry interest, and Autoliv plans wider availability in 2026.
Terms in This Story
- Human Body Model
- A detailed digital representation of human anatomy used in crash simulations to estimate how the body may be injured.
- Virtual testing
- Using computer simulations rather than physical tests to analyze how a vehicle or occupant behaves during a crash.
- Physical crash testing
- Crashing real vehicles or test dummies to observe and measure safety performance.
- Consumer rating programs
- Testing and scoring systems that evaluate how safe vehicles are for buyers.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.