Volvo's pedestrian life saver

Sep 29 2009 Maurice Glover

Volvo's pedestrian life saver

NEXT-generation Volvo cars should soon provide a greater level of protection to jay-walkers.

From next year, models built by the Swedish maker will be able to stop automatically if they detect pedestrians in their path.

Gadgetry that 'sees' people ahead will be fitted to the next S60 range and it will apply the brakes if drivers don't react in time.

The next-generation preventive safety technology is the latest stage in Volvo's development of equipment to detect dangerous situations and promises to help drivers avoid collisions with pedestrians at speeds under 15mph.

'Our previous technology was designed to help drivers avoid collisions with other vehicles but now we are boosting safety for unprotected road users. To our knowledge, none of our competitors have made such progress in this area,' claims company safety officer Thomas Broberg.