GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN - The world's most prestigious award in traffic safety - the US Government Special Award of Appreciation - was given to Jan Ivarsson at Volvo Cars.

"This is naturally an immense honour for me, but above all invaluable verification that Volvo is now reinforcing its leading position in car safety," said Ivarsson.

The award was given at the 21st International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, an event that takes place every two years. The American NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) decides the winner.

The NHTSA is the world's leading authority regarding standards for traffic safety, lending this award added weight and attention.

"I was happy and at the same time surprised when I was notified by the NHTSA that I would be receiving the award. It was a wonderful surprise," said Ivarsson, who is responsible for strategy and requirement specifications at the car safety department.

He quickly goes on to emphasise how important it is for Volvo Cars to reinforce its leading position in car safety.

"Just a few years ago, we felt that the competition was beginning to catch up with us in the sphere of safety. Many of our competitors have been investing immense resources in new technology and they were closing in with a number of fresh innovations in the area of active safety. However, over the past few years we have demonstrated the sheer extent of the expertise in our company. Our new passive and active safety systems which are now being rolled out to customers are of absolute world class," says Jan Ivarsson.

"This is valuable verification that Volvo is appreciated and that we set the tone. We are leading and will continue to lead the way in car safety," said Ivarsson.