Green Means Go – New Skoda Grille Technology Trials

In a bid to reduce pedestrian injuries, Skoda is trialling a grille display to indicate when it’s safe to step out in front of the car. Changes to the Highway Code in 2022 mean drivers should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross at junctions and zebra crossings. 2021 saw over 16,000 accidents in the UK involving pedestrians which is around 300 a week.

The idea behind Skoda’s LED display is to reduce collisions and make it easier for children and people with disabilities to cross the road. It can detect pedestrians from afar and show LED signs, including a warning if the vehicle is unable to stop in time.

Skoda is also developing a robotic lollipop person that can move out into the road, establish whether it’s safe to cross and signal this to pedestrians. It’s over two metres tall so it can see over parked cars and looks like a mobile traffic light.

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The robot will communicate with cars to show a warning sign on the vehicle’s dashboard when a pedestrian is crossing. Once the robot has returned to the pavement the warning will disappear and the driver can carry on.