Toyota is working on a new system to prevent pedestrian run-overs

What not so many years ago was technology reserved for very few manufacturers, the safety systems that prevent collisions with pedestrians are becoming increasingly common. Toyota has just announced the next evolution of its own technology, with which it aims to drastically reduce the number of pedestrian run-overs. It already debuted an automatic braking system on the current Lexus LS, but the new one incorporates important changes.

The previous Pre-Collision System (PCS) of Toyota was based on applying greater force to the brakes to prevent a possible run-over. However, that only covered part of the situations. To be able to prevent this type of collision in other circumstances, such as when the vehicle is travelling too fast for the PCS to brake it in time, it will have the assistance of power steering.

The new PCS has sensors that detect the presence of pedestrians in front of the car. If it considers there is a risk of a run-over, it first emits visual alerts and then audible ones should the driver not react. Just when the latter also fails is when the power steering for pedestrian evasion comes into action, the novelty of the PCS.

This system, after verifying that the driver is unable to avoid the run-over and calculating that there is sufficient space around the car, steers to turn sharply and avoid the pedestrian. Toyota notes in the press release that this technology will not arrive until 2015. Before that there will be a cheaper variant of the PCS that will work without power steering.

Source | Toyota