VW’s Pedestrian Monitoring system ensures safety of people outside the car

With high regard for safety, not only for passengers but also for pedestrians, German automotive brand Volkswagen developed the Pedestrian Monitoring technology as part of its Front Assist system. The advanced safety feature aims complete awareness of drivers while on cruise. 

The Pedestrian Monitoring system itself is able to work day and night. The applied technology is situated behind the Volkswagen emblem on the front of the vehicle, a radar which sweeps points by about 35 degrees and up to 400 feet ahead of the vehicle hundreds of times per minute. Basically, pedestrians crossing in front or walking away from the vehicle are detected by the system as based from the data collected by the radar.

First and foremost, the Pedestrian Monitoring technology does not function at speeds above 64 km/h. When the system senses a pedestrian in front of the vehicle while on cruise from 6 km/h up to 30 km/h, the system shall apply automatic braking to either slow up or totally stop the vehicle. While at speeds between 30 km/h up to 64 km/h, the system shall alert the driver with both an audible and visual warning. If the driver does not respond with the following alerts, the system shall engage automatic braking.   

Do take note that the Pedestrian Monitoring technology may not work on all conditions or circumstances. Rather, this system offers drivers improved awareness during conditions like fog and harah sun glare that could hinder the driver’s on/road vision.

Currently, this innovative system is made available on all 2019 Volkswagen models in the United States, except for the Beetle, Jetta, and Passat. No official word yet if this feature will be made available in the Philippines, although by 2022 the Front Assist and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) are said to be standard on nearly all Volkswagen models.