Mercedes cars will from next year have the ability at night and in poor visibility to detect cyclists and pedestrians long before the driver and pick them out with a spotlight.
The Active Night View Assist Plus uses an infra-red camera to detect cyclists and pedestrians at a distance of up to 80m. They are then illuminated by one of the main headlights, unless the system detects another road user that may be dazzled by the light.
The spotlight function will be included as a standard feature in a luxury class Mercedes model from the summer of 2011.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) says: “Whether or not they have the help of technology such as the Mercedes system, drivers have a responsibility to look out for cyclists and pedestrians – particularly at night and when visibility is poor.”
Cycle-friendly cars?
The most ‘cycle friendly’ car is the one driven by an attentive and considerate driver, but Mercedes is not the only manufacturer working on gedgets to help make vehicles less of a risk to vulnerable road users. A radar fitted to the latest Volvo S60 scans the road ahead and if it judges that the car is about to collide with a cyclist, it automatically applies the car’s full braking power.
The ‘Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake’ system was designed to recognise the leg and arm movements of pedestrians, but during testing it was found to successfully detect and react to cyclists who were at risk of being struck by the car.
In such a situation, the driver first gets a flashing light in the windscreen’s head-up display that looks like a brake light in front of the vehicle. This warning is intended to prompt an immediate, intuitive reaction from the driver.
Should the driver fail to respond to the warning and the system assesses that a collision is imminent the car is brought to a complete stop.
At speeds above 12.5mph, the system will not bring the car to a complete standstill but reduce the speed as much as possible. In most cases, it is able to reduce the collision force by about 75 per cent.
Compare your cycle insurance
Cycle insurance from the ETA includes free accidental cover (including at race events), personal accident cover, a breakdown service for cyclists and much more. Find out more
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