Each year more than half a million people are injured in car crashes in cities in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain alone. Of these, approximately one-in-eight are hurt in rear-end shunts, the type which Active City Stop is designed to reduce in severity or avoid altogether.

'Low speed front-to-rear collisions are one of the most common accidents in urban traffic,' said Roland Schaefer, safety analyst, Ford of Europe. 'They can happen at traffic lights, intersections, roundabouts and other stop-start driving situations. You don't have to be travelling fast to get injured. Even at speeds of just 10mph you can suffer soft tissue neck injury.'

First launched on Ford Focus last year, Active City Stop is now being launched on a compact Ford vehicle for the first time. It monitors traffic ahead and applies the brakes if it detects a collision with a vehicle in front is imminent. In tests the system is proven to prevent collisions at speeds up to 10mph, and reduce the severity of impacts at speeds as high as 18mph. The system was awarded an Advanced reward by Euro NCAP in 2011.

Active City Stop is just one way in which Ford's all-new B-MAX multi-activity vehicle is using technologies that help avoid the most common accidents on congested roads and to raise the safety bar in the city car sector.

Other helpful technologies on the Ford B-MAX include: Ford’s Hill Launch Assist which stops the car rolling back during hill starts or when parking on a slope; and a rear-view camera, which helps the driver to manoeuvre in small spaces and park in tight spots.

'We believe B-MAX is the perfect vehicle for 21st century city driving,' said Joerg Beyer, Ford Vehicle Line director. 'Features such as Active City Stop are new to this sector. These technologies, coupled with B-MAX's compact chassis, and tight turning circle supported by carefully tuned electronic power-assisted steering, enable B-MAX to be far greater prepared for the demands of even the most congested city.'