Renault has proved itself a pioneer in road safety. Each year, the Group invests nearly €100 million in safety research and development. Some 600 employees work directly on this topic, and all business lines are involved.

In March 2004, the Group set up a Road Safety Policy Department, headed by Jean-Yves le Coz MD. 

Human behavior at the wheel has been a core issue in Renault's safety policy for over 50 years. 

As early as 1954, Renault set up the Physiology and Biomechanics Laboratory to study the effects of accidents. Fifteen years later, in 1969, it created the LAB – the Laboratory for Accident Research, Biomechanics and Study of Human Behavior – in partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroën.

The LAB was a forerunner of the scientific study of accidents, or accident research. LAB research has created an accident database unique in the world. Doctors, engineers, psychologists and sociologists work in close collaboration to:

• study accidents in detail, in cooperation with European Research Center for Safety and Risk Analysis (CEESAR) and French National Institute for Transport and Safety Research (INRETS). These studies pave the way for driving assistance systems such as Emergency Braking Assist and ESP;
• understand human behavior at the wheel in emergency and accident situations, allowing us to design appropriate protection systems such as airbags and load limiters. 

Thanks to progress in accident research, crash test dummies now reproduce the physical and mechanical characteristics of human beings in an impact situation much more accurately. Renault's experts use these dummies in 500 real crash tests and 4,000 virtual crash tests every year.  

At the forefront of road safety, Renault’s current range is the safest on the market, with nine vehicles having scored five Euro NCAP stars. Read more about safety results.