Occupant Situational Safety - enabling adaptive protection for the next generation of vehicles

The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation. Software-defined vehicles, new interior concepts, and increasing automation are redefining how occupants interact with the vehicle. These changes are also raising expectations on safety performance. Occupants are no longer seated in standardized positions. Vehicles must handle a broader range of real-world scenarios. And customers expect safety systems to perform not only in regulated tests, but in complex everyday situations.

To meet these expectations, safety must evolve.

Occupant Situational Safety describes an approach where protection is continuously adapted to the specific situation.

This includes:

  • The occupant, such as size and position
  • The crash scenario, such as severity and direction
  • The in-cabin environment, including seating configuration and available space

Instead of relying on fixed system characteristics, adaptive systems use available information to adjust how protection is delivered.

Conventional restraint systems are designed to be robust across many conditions. While highly effective, they represent a compromise since in reality, optimal protection depends on the situation. If restraint forces are too low, the occupant may move forward excessively and make contact with the vehicle interior. If forces are too high, the restraint system itself can cause injuries. Adaptive systems aim to balance these risks dynamically by selecting appropriate characteristics in real time.

Adaptive restraint systems can respond to key factors such as occupant size, crash severity, and available space. 
A central concept is to use the available space efficiently. By allowing controlled motion while avoiding hard contact, systems can reduce peak forces and lower injury risk.

Practical examples include:

  • Adaptive seatbelts, where load limiting levels can change to manage forces acting on the occupant more precisely
  • Adaptive airbags, which can be tuned to different crash conditions and occupant interactions
  • Pre-tensioning strategies, which position the occupant early to improve overall system performance

Together, these technologies enable a more tailored protection strategy.

Four key elements enable Occupant Situational Safety:

Sensing

Modern sensing technologies provide information about occupant position, seat configuration, and crash dynamics. Seatbelt-based sensing systems can also contribute to estimating occupant size, supporting adaptive strategies.

Software

Software allows systems to interpret sensor data and adjust restraint behavior in real time.

System integration

Airbags, seatbelts, and other restraint components must function as one coordinated system.

Connected safety intelligence

Future systems will increasingly use shared data and learnings to improve performance across scenarios.

Human Body Models, such as the SAFER HBM*, provide detailed insights into injury mechanisms across different occupant conditions. They support the development and validation of adaptive strategies across a wide population. Research indicates that representing population variability requires multiple occupant models rather than a single reference individual, reinforcing the need for scalable simulation approaches.

The future of mobility is increasingly intelligent, connected, and personalized. Safety must follow the same path.

Occupant Situational Safety represents a shift toward systems that understand context and adapt continuously. This approach has the potential to improve protection across a broader range of real-world scenarios and occupant conditions.

At Autoliv, we are focused on advancing this next generation of safety through innovation in sensing, software, and integrated restraint systems. Because saving more lives requires not only strong protection, but the ability to adapt it to every situation.

* The SAFER HBM was founded by Chalmers University of Technology, Autoliv and Volvo Cars. It is further developed and brought to market by the Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre, together with the founding organizations, to promote safety and innovation for the greater good.