Allianz Motor Day 2026
Swipe. Tap. Crash. Driver distraction in the digital car

The AZT has long anticipated how technological change reshapes risk and the insurance industry. In the 1970s and 1980s, it championed the introduction of mandatory seatbelts in Germany, a measure that helped reduce annual traffic fatalities from around 15,000 to fewer than 3,000 today. Later, AZT’s pioneering crash tests at low speeds revealed the high repair costs of seemingly minor accidents, laying the foundation for the vehicle type classifications that still guide motor insurance pricing.

That same forward-looking approach now informs current work on issues such as the cost of EV battery replacement, the resilience of connected cars against cyberattacks, and the liability challenges introduced by autonomous systems. The goal is to anticipate how technological shifts will influence motor insurance, road safety, and repair costs and to translate that foresight into practical solutions.

By analyzing real-world claims data, conducting crash tests, and publishing cross-market recommendations, AZT shapes industry standards and ensures claims handling that is fair and efficient for both customers and manufacturers. Its accident research projects and safety campaigns have helped make Europe’s roads markedly safer, a legacy that continues as mobility enters the era of electrification and automation.

For more than five decades, AZT has been a catalyst for change. Its mission remains constant: to create safe, sustainable, and affordable mobility for citizens while equipping insurers and policymakers to navigate the transformations ahead.