New braking technology developed in Australia to save young lives

An Australian innovation has been hailed as the latest technology to prevent children being run over in driveways.

The emergency braking system developed by Bosch Australia is known as a Backover Avoidance System and automatically stops the car when it detects a child behind the vehicle.

The technology fuses radar with ultrasonic sensors, and will only engage the brakes for an object above the height of 30cm, whether it is a pole, a cyclist or a small child

Fifty children are either killed or seriously injured by cars in driveways across Australia every year.

Emma and Peter Cockburn lost their 15-month-old daughter Georgina in a tragic accident.

"I felt a bump and unfortunately it was my little girl," Mr Cockburn said.

"All she was doing was coming to say hello to daddy, and I wasn't aware that she was behind me. I couldn't see her."

Bosch Australia president Gavin Smith had a near-miss two years ago, prompting the development of the new technology.

"It was very easy then to set the challenge to my team - solve this problem," he said.

The Commonwealth government has provided development funding, and it is hoped the technology will be widely available in Australian cars within two years.

"We see this as being a great opportunity to eradicate this form of injury or death," Mr Smith said.

Child safety groups have welcomed the new technology but said it should not replace constant supervision.

"We need to be vigilant at all times to know where our children are," KidSafe Victoria President Erica Edmands said.

"Before we get into a vehicle and before we get out of a vehicle and certainly before we move a vehicle."