Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday it has developed the world's first system capable of predicting vehicle collisions.
The system also assists vehicle braking mechanisms, thus reducing injury and damage risks, the firm said.
The collision mitigation brake system, developed amid intensifying competition among major carmakers to develop safety technology, will be installed in new Inspire sedan models set to debut in June, Honda said.
The system features a millimeter-wave radar that detects oncoming vehicles within a range of 100 meters.
To determine the likelihood of a collision, the machine calculates the distance between vehicles, their relative speeds and anticipated paths, Honda said.
When the system determines there is a risk of collision, or if the distance between the vehicles has become too short, a buzzer sounds and a message appears on the system display warning the driver to take preventative action.
If the distance between the vehicles diminishes further, the system triggers light-braking and seat belt-retraction mechanisms, thereby providing drivers with tactile warnings.
If the system then determines that a collision is unavoidable, the seat belt is retracted "with enough force to compensate for seat belt slack or baggy clothing" while the brakes are activated to reduce the impact, Honda said.
A Honda spokesman stressed that the newly developed system "is designed essentially to help prevent collisions and it doesn't mean drivers don't have to do anything."