What A Brake

The crash-test dummy was never in danger, despite being rendered motionless in a parking lot while motorists drove at him like he wasn’t there.

It was a demonstration of Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, an innovative, first-of-its-kind safety tool on the 2011 Volvo S60 sedan.

The Swedish carmaker is touring the country showing off the eye-catching safety feature, including a two-hour stopover Aug. 27 at Volvo of Charleston.

According to the company, the system automatically applies the brakes if it senses that a person is crossing in front and the driver has not taken precautions to avoid the pedestrian.

The company is unveiling the technology on the new S60 T6 AWD sedan, part of a model overhaul that also includes a sportier, more streamlined look, extra head and leg room, all wheel drive, 18-inch alloy wheels and beefy 300 horsepower engine. The starting price is $37,700.

In designing the safety feature, Volvo installed a computer that stores many thousand images of people. That way, the car can identify it's a person in front rather than an animal or other object.

Audio and visual sensors are built in that first warn the driver of the obstruction. If the motorist is not paying attention or otherwise distracted, the car then overrides the driver’s control and applies the brakes.

The system is designed for slower speeds, workable up to 22 miles per hour. Half of pedestrian fatalities occur at vehicle speeds at or below 16 mph, said Angelo Angotti, one of two representatives of Volvo who demonstrated the new technology.

Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake is a second level of innovative braking protection on Volvos. Last year, the carmaker rolled out its City Safety system on the XC60 sport utility that automatically decelerates when a driver is approaching a vehicle in front at too fast a speed.

Volvo of Charleston was the 29th stop in the Southeast on “The All-New Naughty Volvo S60 Tour,” in which the carmaker lauds the new S60 and its braking acumen.

“There’s been a very positive response,” said Steven Marks, assistant tour manager. Car shoppers are “excited that it is longer and has more leg room,” he said.

Moreover, “people are amazed at the technology,” Angotti said.

The corporate staff brought two Volvo S60s on the trip to Charleston.

In the demonstration, guests could sit in the front seat while a staff member ambles the car toward the pre-positioned mannequin. Close to the target, the vehicle’s sensor alarm goes off. Then the car brakes to a halt, causing a slight jolt, a foot or so from the dummy. A dashboard gauge informs the motorist that the auto brake had been activated.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com