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The Honda Sensing suite of active safety systems, which first appeared on the US-market 2015 Honda CR-V facelift, has been updated with a new feature called Pedestrian Collision Mitigation Steering (PCMS), and the new Honda Legend (a right-hand drive Acura RLX) will be the first car to be sold with it in Japan.

PCMS calls upon the millimetre-wave radar located inside the front grille and the monocular camera mounted on the upper, inside part of the windscreen (that you get as part of the Honda Sensing package) to detect pedestrians and road boundary lines.

When the system forecasts a collision with a pedestrian as a result of the vehicle straying from the lane, it provides visual and audible warnings, and subsequently turns the steering wheel in the other direction to help the driver avoid the collision.

To accommodate the new functions, Honda says the Honda Sensing system's precision and data processing capabilities have been improved. The system now recognises not only its surroundings but also driver intentions and vehicle conditions, and can apply collaborative control over certain vehicle components including braking and steering.

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The radar detects pedestrians, and the camera identifies the attributes and sizes of those that come in range of within approximately 60 metres ahead of the vehicle.

The other Honda Sensing functions carry over, of course - there's Collision Mitigation Braking (braking only), Road Departure Mitigation (steering wheel vibrations if stray, corrective input, braking), Lane Keeping Assist (steering assist, vibrations if stray, >65 km/h), Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow (can come to a full stop and start off again) and Traffic Sign Recognition.

Additionally, there's False Start Prevention and Lead Car Departure Notification. The former guards against sudden acceleration when there is a vehicle or object ahead in close range, and vibrates the accelerator pedal. The latter informs the driver when the car in front starts up from standstill traffic.

Over in Britain, the Honda Civic hatch and Tourer are offered with a £780 Driver Assistance Safety Pack option that also makes use of a radar and a forward-facing camera to give you City-Brake Active, Forward Collision Warning, High Beam Support, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Information, Lane Departure Warning and Cross Traffic Monitor systems.