Volvo Safety Innovation

Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and pedestrian detection reacts when a pedestrian walks out in front of a car. The system will activate the car's full braking power if the driver does not respond to the danger.

"Our aim is that this new technology should help the driver avoid collisions with pedestrians at speeds below 20 km/h. If the car is being driven faster, the aim is to reduce the impact speed as much as possible. In most cases, we can reduce the collision force by about 75 percent," says Thomas Broberg, safety expert at Volvo Cars.

This technology is also highly beneficial in the event of rear-end impacts with other vehicles. Studies indicate that half of all drivers who drive into another vehicle from behind do not brake prior to the collision.

In an emergency situation, the driver first gets an audible warning together with a flashing light in the windscreen's head-up display. In order to prompt an immediate reaction, the visual warning is designed to look like a brake light coming on in front. If the driver does not respond the system assesses that a collision is imminent, and the car's brakes are applied with full braking power.

The main aim is still for the initial warning to be sufficient for the driver to brake or manoeuvre away from the hazard. Automatic braking is an emergency measure that is only activated when the collision is imminent.

The technology consists of a radar and camera which continuously monitor the road in front of the car. The radar's task is to detect objects and measure the distance to them. The camera's function is to determine what type of objects are in the path of the vehicle.

The function is programmed to respond to cars in front that are at a standstill or moving in the same direction.  The unit can also detect the moving pattern of a pedestrian.

Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and pedestrian detection will be introduced in the all-new Volvo S60 in 2010.

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