Volvo announced a new safety feature called Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, a system that could help keep those who share the road with automobiles safe.

The company announced the new system on Wednesday at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland.

The system is able to recognize people nearby, both walking and riding bikes. The system can also calculate the car's distance from the detected object. The Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection system uses camera systems and radar installed in the car. If the car senses that a cyclist or a pedestrian is in the way, it will set off an visual and audible alarm, and can even stop the car completely if the system thinks a crash is imminent.

Also important to avoiding accidents, the system can recognize oncoming cars on the road, which should eliminate some causes of false positive readings that could stop the car without any risk of a crash. But can the system distinguish between stationary pedestrians or only moving ones? If it can detect stationary pedestrians, how does it distinguish between a person and a small tree or fence post?

"Our solutions for avoiding collisions with unprotected road users are unique in the industry," Doug Speck, senior vice president Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo, told Left Lane. "By covering more and more objects and situations, we reinforce our world-leading position within automotive safety. We keep moving towards our long term vision to design cars that do not crash."

The "Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection with full auto brake" will be available on new Volvos starting in May. The system will come with Volvo's V40, S60 V60, XC60, XC70, V70 and S80 models.