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posted by cmn32480 on Thursday May 28 2015, @10:01AM   Printer-friendly
from the details-details dept.

[Update: 05/28 23:38 GMT by mrcoolbp : It appears the driver was testing the auto-braking and/or pedestrian detection packages that the car didn't seem to have. The human driver was in control of the vehicle. This is an at-fault driver, not a 'self-driving' incident. We apologize for any confusion.]

As a group of journalists gathered in the Dominican Republic to report on the self-parking Volvo XC60 (video of the accident available), the group watched as the car reversed itself, then drove into the crowd at speed:

The accident may have happened because owners have to pay for a special feature known as "pedestrian detection functionality," which costs extra. The cars do have auto-braking features as standard, but only for avoiding other cars — if they are to avoid crashing into pedestrians, too, then owners must pay extra.

"It appears as if the car in this video is not equipped with Pedestrian detection," Volvo spokesperson Johan Larsson told Fusion. "This is sold as a separate package."

The pedestrian detection feature, which works using radar behind the grill and a camera in the windshield, costs approximately $3000. The two men injured in the accident were bruised but otherwise OK.


[Editor's Comment: Original Submission]

 
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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Thursday May 28 2015, @05:38PM

    by frojack (1554) on Thursday May 28 2015, @05:38PM (#189209) Journal

    Although I can't be 100%, I'm pretty sure this was driver error.

    Well there is a lesson in that for all of us, is there not?

    After all, regardless of how the car was or was not equipped, the manufacturer will invariably blame the driver.

    Personally, I can't see any evidence that auto-park was being attempted either.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2015, @07:53PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2015, @07:53PM (#189280)

    There is no evidence of anything except that the vehicle was accelerating and did hit some journalists. Anything else shows blatant bias with ignorant speculation.