Starting this summer (Northern Hemisphere), the Japanese-market version of the Honda Fit/Jazz will be offered with the automaker’s new City-Brake Active System. It’s designed to minimize the chances of collisions at low speeds.
The system incorporates a laser radar unit, that’s located in the upper section of the windshield. When it detects an obstacle in the path of the car – and the car is traveling no faster than 30 km/h (18 mph) – the system starts by warning the driver via audio and visual cues. If the driver doesn’t immediately take action to avoid a collision, the brakes are automatically applied.
Additionally, City-Brake is designed to guard against accidental sudden accelerations, when the car is at a standstill or moving at less than 10 km/h (6 mph). Under those conditions, if the accelerator is pressed suddenly and an object is within four meters (13 feet) of the front of the vehicle, the audio and visual warnings are once again activated. If the driver doesn’t respond right away, the engine output will be decreased in order to stop the car.
Along with its upcoming introduction in Japan, the City-Brake Active System will be making its way into European Fits/Jazzes at a yet-to-be-established date. There's no word on other markets at this point.
Honda already features its Collision Mitigation Braking System in select models, while automakers including Volvo, Subaru and Mazda offer similar systems.
Source: Honda
Do they fail? Yes. Everything fails. The point is not perfection, it's to improve the overall risk.
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