New SA-bound XC60: Here's how pedestrian detection could save lives

Sweden - More than 1.2 million people are killed in traffic crashed around the world each year, but Volvo believes its vision of an injury- and fatality-free future can soon be a reality. 

Ahead of the launch of new XC60 SUV, set to arrive in South Africa during the second quarter of 2018, the automaker has released a film showcasing its safety technology

“Sometimes the moments that never happen matter the most.” - is message behind its new campaign but what does it mean?

Crash prevention

According to Volvo: "The film follows a young girl’s journey to her first day at a new school and shows a glimpse of what life holds for her in the coming years – growing up, travelling the world, settling down and raising a family. All of this comes to an abrupt stop as the girl steps out in front of an oncoming Volvo.

Wheels24's Sean Parker had exclusive access to the film set in Cape Town. Read more here. 

"The Volvo’s safety system detects the girl and applies its autonomous emergency brake, preventing what could have been a life-changing collision."

Watch the film below:

New safety tech

The automaker claims "94% of all accidents are caused by human factors". With its safety technology, Volvo believes it can reduce the human factor in traffic crashes.

The next-gen XC60 sports several new safety features; a new steering support function has been added to Volvo’s City Safety autonomous emergency braking system, while a new system, Oncoming Lane Mitigation, uses Steer Assist to help mitigate head-on collisions.

The Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) has also been updated with a Steer Assist function to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions.