Volvo shows off technology that helps avoid hitting pedestrians.

• EU OKs Volvo takeover by China's Geely
• Chinese state fund to buy stake in Volvo

A child darting out into a busy street is a recipe for tragedy -- a calamity Volvo hopes to help drivers of its vehicles avoid with technology designed to stop the car before it hits a pedestrian if the driver fails to hit the brakes in time.

The Swedish carmaker demonstrated the new technology Tuesday at Bob Penkhus Volvo Mazda, 1101 Motor City Drive, as part of a four-month, 150-city North American tour to introduce Volvo's 2011 S60, a redesigned version of the company's luxury sedan that will be available at dealerships in September. The new pedestrian-detection feature is standard on the new model, which costs $37,700 without optional equipment or features.

The technology uses a camera- and radar-system mounted in the front bumper that has 10,000 images of humans stored in its memory so it can recognize humans in its path and stop the vehicle if it is traveling up to 22 mph, said Alfred Holzapfel, western region market manager for Volvo Cars North America LLC. The camera has a 180-degree view so it can detect pedestrians before most drivers would be able to see them, he said.

"Most accidents happen within two or three miles of our homes, so this is designed to avoid the most common types of accidents involving pedestrians," Holzapfel said. "If the driver doesn't apply the brakes, this system will stop the car 100 percent of the time."

The new model also includes technology available on other Volvo models that alerts drivers when vehicles are in their "blind spot" or if the vehicle is drifting into another lane.

Other safety features can slow the car automatically when it is approaching a slower-moving vehicle while using cruise control, apply additional speed to outside wheels on turns to improve traction and apply brakes automatically to avoid a collision with a stopped or slowing vehicle.

Although Volvo is best known for safety, the company is marketing the new model as "naughty" because of its 300-horsepower, 3-litre, six-cylinder turbocharged engine, and a special stiffer chassis, suspension and steering system designed to be more responsive than most sedans, Holzapfel said.

Volvo is owned by Ford Motor Co., which has agreed to sell the company to Geely Automotive, China's largest privately owned auto manufacturer.

--
To see more of The Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.gazette.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.