Bystanders hit by car in Volvo safety demonstration

Carmakers are currently ploughing countless millions into the development of advanced safety technology in a bid to make sure their products are as safe as possible. However, for all their sensors and autonomous braking capabilities, cars are still unable to account for one thing: the idiot behind the wheel.

And so it turned out for Volvo this month, at a recent demonstration of its 'City-Safety' technology. In theory, the system is designed to detect objects in front of it and apply the brakes automatically in the event of an impending collision.

Such kit has been available for some time, though Volvo's latest development is claimed to better recognise pedestrians and cyclists and act accordingly. That is, if it's turned on...

Embarrassingly for the Swedish brand – and unfortunately for the hapless volunteers stood in front of the XC60 test mule in this video – it seems the driver forgot to turn the system on before conducting the test. What happens next plays out with wince-inducing inevitability, though we're glad to report that no-one was seriously injured.

Volvo is at the forefront of developing advanced vehicle safety technology as part of its 'Vision 20:20', in which it aims to reduce the number of people killed or injured by a Volvo car to zero by the year 2020.