Video: Volvo car knocks down man during demonstration
In a Volvo 'self-parking' demonstration that was held in the Dominican Republic, the vehicle knocked down a spectator who was expecting the car to stop in time. The Volvo's City Safety function was deactivated by mistake, according to the driver.
The City Safety feature is an autonomous braking system that prevents collisions when travelling at speeds upto 30kmph. The system consists of a laser that scans the road for vehicles 10 metres ahead of the car. In case a vehicle in front stops in an emergency, the City Safety system will stop the car even if the driver fails to react and apply brakes in time. The new generation system can also detect pedestrians and cyclists.
In the video, the spectator standing in front of the car was clearly unaware that the system was not switched on. Even the driver did not react until the last moment, highlighting the extent to which both the driver and spectator relied on the car's electronics.
Safety systems such a the City Safety, ABS, Lane Assist and many more are not substitutes to driver inputs. They are present to aid situations that are beyond the driver's control or in the event that a driver is rendered incapable of controlling the vehicle.
Source: Unilad
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