All-new 2011 Volvo S60 Makes North American Debut at New York Auto Show

NEW YORK, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA) pulled the wraps off the all-new 2011 S60 sport sedan today at the New York Auto Show. The all-new Volvo S60 sport sedan will arrive at dealerships later this fall. The all-new S60 introduces a unique safety technology: Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake.

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Pedestrian accidents occur every day in our increasingly intensive traffic environments. In the U.S., 11 percent of all traffic fatalities are pedestrians. This equates to approximately 4,700 deaths annually in the U.S., a number Volvo is trying to reduce.

Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake is a groundbreaking technological solution that actively helps the driver avoid accidents. Volvo's radar- and camera-based system can detect pedestrians in front of the car, warn the driver if anyone walks out into its path – and then automatically activate the S60's full braking power if the driver fails to respond in time.

Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake consists of a newly developed radar unit integrated into the all-new S60's grille, a camera fitted in front of the inside rearview mirror and a central control unit. The radar's task is to detect any object in front of the car and to determine the distance to it while the camera determines what type of object it is.

Half of all pedestrian accidents occur at speeds below 16 mph. Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at speeds up to 22 mph if the driver does not react in time. At higher speeds, the focus is on reducing the car's speed as much as possible prior to the impact.

Statistics reveal that the car's speed has considerable importance for the outcome of the accident. A lower speed of impact means that the risk of serious injury is significantly reduced. For instance, if speed is cut from 31 mph to 16 mph, Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake is expected to reduce the fatality risk by as much as 20 percent and in some certain cases up to 85 percent.

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (www.volvocars.com/us) is a subsidiary of Volvo Car Corporation of Gothenburg, Sweden.  VCNA provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to Volvo automobile retailers in the United States, and oversees Volvo operations in Canada.

SOURCE Volvo Cars of North America, LLC