Systems and methods for detecting and warning drivers of vulnerable road users

A method for warning a driver in a vehicle of a vulnerable road user (VRU), the method comprising:

• detecting, with at least one sensor, a VRU on or adjacent to a road on which the vehicle is moving;
• determining a location of the detected VRU relative to the vehicle, wherein the location includes a driver side or a passenger side of the vehicle;
• and
• in response to determining the location of the detected VRU, temporarily flickering an intensity of light output from at least one of a first active headlight on the driver side of the vehicle and a second active headlight on the passenger side of the vehicle to warn the driver of the location of the detected VRU relative to the vehicle.

A system for warning a driver in a vehicle of a vulnerable road user (VRU) while the vehicle is moving on a road, the vehicle including at least one first active headlight on a driver side of the vehicle and at least one second active headlight on a passenger side of the vehicle, the system comprising:

• a detection module including at least one sensor configured to detect VRUs on or adjacent to the road that is beyond a maximum range of the first active headlight and the second active headlight;
• a control module in communication with the detection module, the control module configured to:
• receive data indicative of a detected VRU;
• receive data indicative of a visibility condition adjacent to the vehicle and a velocity of the vehicle;
• determine a location of the detected VRU relative to the vehicle based on the received data, wherein the location includes a driver side or a passenger side of the vehicle;
• and
• in response to determining the location of the detected VRU, temporarily flicker an intensity of light output from the first active headlight on the driver side of the vehicle or the second active headlight on the passenger side of the vehicle to warn the driver of the location of the detected VRU relative to the vehicle only if the visibility condition is below a visibility threshold and the velocity of the vehicle is above a velocity threshold.