Volvo S60 Pedestrian Detection System

It is a fact that cars can do more and more by themselves every day. The way things are going, pretty soon we won’t need a driver’s license, we’ll just ask nicely our car to drive itself to the destination. Though that will be a sad day for car enthusiasts, another step has been taken towards that reality, as Volvo introduced its Pedestrian Detection system on its new S60.

“Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake is a groundbreaking technological solution. It can detect pedestrians who walk into the road in front of the car, warn the driver - and automatically apply full braking power if the driver does not respond in time,” said Volvo.

If an emergency situation occurs, the system warns the driver by combining a sound with a flashing light in the windscreen’s head-up display. At this moment the brakes are pre-charged, and if the driver fails to react, full braking power is applied. The system can avoid an accident at speeds of under 22 mph. Over that speed, the system is focused on slowing down.

"We are truly proud of our success in making our technology so reliable that we can offer a complete system that can avoid a collision with a pedestrian by detecting, alerting and applying full braking. It's a world first, to the best of our knowledge. With this technology we have increased the braking force in our automatic braking system from fifty percent to full stopping power," says Thomas Broberg, Senior Safety Advisor at Volvo Cars.

Volvos have always been known as safe cars, and this solution comes to emphasize the idea that the brand’s cars are not only safe for the driver, but also for the pedestrians.