More pedestrian safety thanks to the emergency braking of the Ford Transit

It is not a new technology, but it has been installed for the first time in a commercial vehicle, beyond the high-end saloons. Pedestrian protection is not only for high-end cars; commercial vehicles must be equally prepared to act in an emergency.

The Pedestrian Detection system had until now been installed in the Ford Mondeo. To detect pedestrians, it uses a camera located in the windscreen and a radar located in the rear bumper. The images obtained through these sensors and cameras are processed by a database, which makes it possible to locate and recognise pedestrian figures and identify them as such. Thus, as soon as it detects one, it emits an audible warning that allows the driver to react.

When the driver ignores the warnings of a pedestrian’s presence, the system takes control within a fraction of a second and activates the emergency brake, so the vehicle stops and the pedestrian is not run over. This system was tested on a closed circuit, where several dummies were set up to simulate the presence of pedestrians. After confirming that it worked correctly, it began to be used in real environments, in cities such as Paris and London.

Today, the Pedestrian Detection system is fully operational and allows drivers to travel more safely on city streets. For the driver of a delivery van it is very practical, since lapses of attention can more easily occur when checking an address or suffering any other distraction due to their work. With this system, now included in the Ford Transit, it is possible to drive more safely and with greater confidence in the city.

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Source | Ford