Ford's New Tech Can See in the Dark
CARS.COM — A new feature from Ford can scan the road ahead for pedestrians and automatically brake for them at night. The evening function, an expansion of the pedestrian detection feature in Ford’s extant collision warning system, debuts in the 2018 F-150 pickup truck and Mustang sports car.
Related: 2018 Ford F-150 Video Review: First Impressions
Citing data from a survey of European drivers, Ford notes that more than 80 percent admit to trepidation on the road at night, and 1 in 5 fear a pedestrian collision. Indeed, the automaker says nighttime pedestrian accidents are nearly twice as likely to result in a death, and 74 percent of pedestrian deaths in the U.S. involving a motor vehicle in 2015 occurred in the dark.
The augmented pedestrian detection system uses bumper-embedded radar and a windshield camera, analyzing data to distinguish people from trees and signs when your headlights illuminate them. (So, um, this Halloween tree costume might not be such a good idea.) If it determines a person is in your path, it can warn you and then — if you do nothing — apply the brakes.
Ford isn’t the only automaker to offer a system optimized for nighttime pedestrian detection. BMW’s Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection illuminates — and warns you — of pedestrians at night, complete with alarms and automatic braking.
