If you have a weak stomach, you might want to take a deep breath first before proceeding. The video you’re about to see is pretty brutal, not because of something that happened, but because of something that could have happened had it not been for a driver’s alertness and an automaker’s state-of-the-art technology. In so many words, a distracted child crossed a street without looking, only to find himself in the crosshairs of an oncoming Volvo semi-truck. The scene was playing out like a house of horrors, until salvation stepped in in the form of Volvo’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system.

In a split second before what would’ve been a nightmarish collision, the truck driver managed to slam the brakes hard enough to trigger the AEB system, sending the truck screeching to a dramatic halt. The intensive braking was strong enough to create g-forces that literally pushed the nose of the truck forward with the lower end of the front bumper barely scraping the road. Fortunately, the erring child had enough wits about himself to also run away from the truck, preventing what would’ve otherwise been a heartbreaking end to the young boy’s life.

There really is something to be said for all the advancements in automotive technology to see it work in front of your eyes. I personally don’t know if the driver or the AEB system deserves a bigger share of the credit, but I’ll settle for equal-billing. Let it be said though that Volvo’s new braking system played a huge role in saving a young boy’s life. More than any award or positive review, seeing it function the way it’s supposed to be in a literal time of distress is the ultimate vindication for an automaker’s constant pursuit of advanced safety technologies.

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