Swedish car-maker Volvo has come up with a crash-proof family car which should go on sale in the autumn of this year.
The car’s secret is a laser-guidance system to spot vehicles in front that are too close or stopping suddenly. When it does, the car will automatically stop to avoid a crash.
The CitySafety system, as it is called, kicks in at speeds of up to 20mph and is designed for urban driving. Volvo say that the system has the potential to prevent half of all rear-end collisions, that make up 29 per cent of all reported car accidents..
The laser sensor is built into the windscreen and reacts to traffic in front of the car that is either stationary or moving in the same direction.
It scans up to six yards ahead and, sensing the difference in speed between it and a vehicle in front, it makes 50 calculations a second to determine the braking force needed to avoid crashing.
If the driver fails to slow down, the system brakes automatically and disables the accelerator.
The system will be a standard option in the XC60 car, that has a price tag starting from