Stockholm (dpa) – Volvo is going ahead with the production of a special pedestrian safety system that includes a bonnet lift system and an exterior air bag that is triggered in front of the windscreen to minimise injury.

The system was first introduced at the recent Geneva Motor Show and will be included in the latest Volvo V40 to be produced at the Belgian Ghent factory later this year.

At the same time the system includes an automatic pedestrian recognition system to warn the driver prior to an impact. If an accident is unavoidable the bonnet lifts with the air bag covering about one third of the windscreen and a large portion of the A-pillar.

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA) pulled the wraps off the all-new 2011 S60 sport sedan today at the New York Auto Show. The all-new Volvo S60 sport sedan will arrive at dealerships later this fall. The all-new S60 introduces a unique safety technology: Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake.

Pedestrian accidents occur every day in our increasingly intensive traffic environments. In the U.S., 11 percent of all traffic fatalities are pedestrians. This equates to approximately 4,700 deaths annually in the U.S., a number Volvo is trying to reduce.

Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake is a groundbreaking technological solution that actively helps the driver avoid accidents. Volvo’s radar- and camera-based system can detect pedestrians in front of the car, warn the driver if anyone walks out into its path – and then automatically activate the S60’s full braking power if the driver fails to respond in time.

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