New SEAT SUV Brakes for Cyclists

Volkswagen AG’s SEAT unit is introducing a new safety system on the 2019 Tarraco SUV/crossover vehicle to help prevent collisions with bicyclists.

The system works similar to automated emergency brakes but is tuned specifically to recognize bicycles. SEAT notes that 8% of European traffic accidents involve bicyclists.

The Tarraco’s forward-facing radar detects the presence of nearby cyclists. Audio and visual alerts in the vehicle are triggered if the system determines a collision is imminent within two seconds, based on the relative trajectory and speed of the vehicle and cyclist(s).

If the driver fails to take action, the vehicle brakes automatically. Braking would be initiated about 20 meters (66 ft) away from the cyclist in vehicles traveling at 45 mph, which SEAT says would be about one second prior to the pending collision.

The Spanish carmaker says it conducted more than 1,200 tests that simulated 450 real-world driving scenarios during the development of the technology.

Sales of the flagship Tarraco are due to begin early next year. The crossover will ride on VW’s long-wheelbase MQB-A platform, which also carries VW’s Tiguan Allspace model. Other available safety features for the 2019 SEAT model include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, traffic-sign recognition and pre-crash/emergency assist.

Watch a video about the bicycle recognition system HERE.