Passive safety technologies help mitigate injuries of the driver and passengers if an accident should occur. Mazda does much more than simply comply with the laws of each country and region; the Company also conducts tests for various types of potential collisions that may occur on the road, and has made steady progress in developing passive technologies to better protect passengers and drivers.
A "multi-load path structure," which disperses the load from an impact in multiple directions for efficient shock absorption when a crash occurs, has been adopted as part of the SKYACTIV-BODY technology.
For example, in the event of a front-end collision, the impact is dispersed along three continuous paths passing from the front frame to the A-pillar, door belt line and side sill, effectively absorbing the impact. Similar constructions effectively absorp side and rear collision impacts as well
The same design method has also been applied to individual parts in order to raise energy absorption efficiency, enabling major improvements in safety performance.
In April 2011, the Premacy (Japanese model specification; Mazda5 overseas) was awarded a total of six stars, the highest rating by the Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP)*1, as a result of crash testing evaluating occupant safty for the vehicle (awarded based on Japanese model specifications).
In March 2011, the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)*2 evaluated the Mazda3 (Axela in Japan) through crash testing, and chose it as a 2011 Top Safety Pick in small cars, a top honor (awarded based on American model specifications). The Mazda3 received the top rating of "Good" in the crash-test categories of frontal collision, side collision, whiplash (neck) injury prevention, and roof strength during a rollover accident, achieving safety performance that is among the best in the world.
- *1A vehicle safety performance-testing program operated by the National Agency for Automobile Safety and Victim's Aid (NASVA). By evaluating safety performance of commercially available vehicles through testing and making the results public, NASVA strives to create an environment in which users can choose safe vehicles and in which safer vehicles become more widespread.
- *2A nonprofit organization active in the US insurance industry that performs safety evaluations.
