Volvo designs world’s first cyclist-saving automatic brakes

In cities around the world, bicyclists and motorists have an uneasy relationship, what with more vehicles powered by pedals and fossil fuels taking up the same space. Here in the United States, about 52,000 cyclists a year are injured in crashes, with 612 dying in 2010 according to federal statistics. In an attempt to give cyclists a fighting chance, Volvo will soon fit a system to new models that scans the road ahead for cyclists — and automatically slams the brakes if the car's about to strike one.