Volvo safety feature to prevent hitting pedestrians

Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo's all-new S60 compact sedan equipped with the ground-breaking technology to avoid hitting wayward pedestrians will be sold in Australia from 2010.

The new S60 will bring in an innovative new safety feature -- collision warning with full auto brake and pedestrian detection system -- which consists of a dual-mode radar unit integrated into the car's grille, a camera behind the inside rear-view mirror, and a central control unit.

The radar and camera will continuously monitor the road in front of the car, and detect objects to measure the distance to them while the camera determines what type of hazards are ahead.

If an impact appears possible, an audible warning is sounded, and a light is flashed on the head-up display. And if the driver does not respond to the warning, the S60's brakes are automatically applied with full braking power, which will either stop the vehicle before impact or dramatically reduce the impact speed to diminish potential for subsequent injuries.

"In most cases, we can reduce the collision force by about 75 per cent," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Thomas Broberg, Volvo safety expert, as saying.

Stephen Odell, President and CEO of Volvo Cars, said: "The all-new Volvo S60 is sculpted to move you. It looks and drives like no other Volvo before and the car's technology will help you to be safer and more confident behind the wheel."

Specifications and pricing of the car will be revealed closer to the 2010 launch date.