Toyota and Ford have unveiled new systems that will detect when a pedestrian walks in front of a car and try to prevent a collision or at least soften the impact, NBC News reported.
Pedestrian deaths increased in 2011 with a total of 4,432 deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Perhaps automakers can implement changes to lower the death toll. The new Toyota Pre-collision System, or PCS, uses onboard sensors to scan the road ahead of the vehicle, issuing an alert if there is a risk of a crash, NBC News reported.
"If the likelihood of a collision increases, the system issues an audio and visual alarm to encourage the driver to take evasive action, and the increased pre-collision braking force and automatic braking functions are activated," Toyota said.
Toyota could have the Pre-Collision System in production by 2015.
As cars switch from passive to active safety systems, new technology will automatically attempt to steer away from a pedestrian if the driver does not react in time.
Ford's Obstacle Avoidance technology uses a mix of sensors, including a camera tucked behind the rearview mirror, to scan the road for vehicles and pedestrians. The system can also steer out of the way if a collision seems imminent.
Volvo was one of the first automakers to implement this kind of safety feature when it launched the City Safety technology several years ago. The system was initially designed to prevent low-speed collisions on urban roads where drivers are frequently distracted, but it has since been updated to allow a vehicle to detect a pedestrian or large animals.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently began a new testing and ratings system for these pre-collision systems, according to NBC News.
As more automakers add safety capabilities, the all-new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will include a system not only capable of stopping for a pedestrian on a city street, but also able to detect people who may be ready to cross a higher-speed highway--even at night.
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