The Collision Mitigation system assists the driver in situations where collision is inevitable due, for example, to the sudden presence of an obstacle or slow-moving or stationary vehicle in the path of the vehicle, recording the position and related speed of the obstacle and intervening on the vehicle’s braking systems in order to avoid the collision or to reduce its severity by limiting impact speed. The system can intervene independently, to stop the vehicle, and to assist and compensate for the driver’s braking action, if inadequate for the situation of collision. Also, if collision is unavoidable, a few milliseconds before impact, the Pre-crash functionality uses obstacle position and speed information in order to:

• pre-activate retention systems, such as the electric pre-tensioners of the seat belts, in order to maintain vehicle occupants in a position where they are more shielded against the impact;

• ‘pre-alert’ and lastly optimisation of intervention of safety systems such as air-bags.

Introduction of Collision Mitigation and Precrash systems on the market can promote a noteworthy reduction in road accidents and deaths, and a European regulation is currently being approved that envisages compulsory introduction of Advanced Emergency Braking systems from 2013 on new heavy commercial vehicles. Within the framework of projects co-financed by the national Industria 2015 call for tenders, CRF is engaged, together with IVECO, in defining specifications and constructing Advanced Emergency Braking systems for heavy (Stralis, Eurocrago) and light (Daily) commercial vehicles. During 2009, CRF, together with FGA, developed a demo vehicle on the Fiat Bravo platform for experimenting a Collision Mitigation and Pre-crash system in the urban environment.