Ford has announced that its Pre-Collision Assist With Pedestrian Detection technology will debut on the 2015 Mondeo sold in Europe, before becoming available worldwide. The system is designed to eliminate frontal collisions involving pedestrians or reduce the severity of a collision if it cannot be avoided. As an extra benefit, it may help to avoid rear end collisions with vehicles ahead.

The system processes information collected from a windshield-mounted camera and radar located near the bumper and checks the information against a database of pedestrian shapes to help distinguish people from typical roadside scenery and objects. Ford engineers tested the system on closed test tracks using mannequins to take the place of real pedestrians. They then spent months refining the technology on roads around the world to test system reliability.

“This real-world testing was an important part of the development, because pedestrians in an urban setting can present a wide range of potential situations,” said Scott Lindstrom, Ford manager, Driver Assist Technologies. “We covered more than 300,000 miles on three continents that included a wide range of settings and situations.”

If a pedestrian is detected in front of the car and a collision is imminent, the driver first receives an audible and visual warning. If the driver doesn’t respond, the system improves brake responsiveness by reducing the gap between brake pads and discs. If there is still no response from the driver, the brakes are applied automatically and vehicle speed is reduced. Ford notes that the system is not foolproof, as it does not function as well at night or under other low light conditions such as heavy rain or snow.

Pre-Collision Assist is only one of many safety systems available in Ford products including a lane-keeping system, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support. Other manufacturers such as Volvo and Tesla have similar systems in place or under development.

In the US alone, there are more than 30,000 deaths involving automobiles. The day is rapidly approaching when our cars will help reduce that death toll dramatically.