A system and method are provided for early detection of objects by a perception system of a vehicle, and triggering a precautionary action by the vehicle in response without waiting for a more precise detection. The vehicle has a multi-level sensor range, wherein a first level of the sensor range is adjacent an outer bounds of the sensor range and has a first confidence value, and a second level of the sensor range is within the first range and has a second, higher confidence value. In situations when oncoming traffic is traveling at a high rate of speed, the vehicle responds to noisier detections, or objects perceived with a lower degree of confidence, rather than waiting for verification which may come too late.