Automatic pedestrian avoidance - a mixed blessing?

[unixronin]

Jalopnik reports that the 2010 Volvo S60 will be equipped with an automated system that not only detects pedestrians and cyclists in or entering the vehicle's path, but automatically brakes if necessary to avoid hitting them.

On the face of it, this is an excellent idea.  But in an inner city, I would hope there's an override.  You see, over and

Comments

[jhetley]

Wonder if it also avoids moose . . .

[unixronin]

One would assume so. A moose is a bigger target, and the square-cube law suggests a hell of a thermal signature.

[jhetley]

Problem would be range -- car-on-moose violence usually occurs at higher velocities . . .

(Unlike the moose-on-car incident I reported a few days back.)

[unixronin]

Yeah, the article doesn't say anything about the effective range/speed envelope.

[montieth]

Any sort of significant range is going to mean LOT of spurious brake applications due to pedestrians on the side of the road on curves and the like.