Driver Emergency Assist in Mazda’s CX-80: Program manager's Vision for a Trusted Co-Pilot


MAZDA CX-80
MAZDA CX-80

Every time we drive our loved ones, we want to ensure their safety. When taxiing children from one activity to another, there are surely moments when we grip the steering wheel tighter, acutely aware of their safety in our hands. There may even be days when the demands of work and family leave us feeling tired, but driving is unavoidable. At times like these, many of us have likely worried about falling asleep at the wheel, or becoming suddenly unwell while driving.

 

In Japan, driver health emergencies cause approximately 250-300 car accidents each year.*1 To address this issue, Mazda is advancing car technology wherever possible, working to enhance safety features with the goal of zero fatal accidents caused by brand-new Mazda cars by 2040. As part of this initiative, Mazda launched the Mazda CX-60 SUV in September 2022, equipped with Mazda’s Driver Emergency Assist (DEA) system, and in October 2024 introduced the Mazda CX-80 SUV, the second Mazda vehicle to feature this technology.

 

We all want to protect our families from unexpected accidents. How can advanced driver assistance systems like Mazda’s Driver Emergency Assist help us achieve this goal? 

 

To explore this question, Mazda Mirai Base’s   Hiroaki Esaki, whose recent experience of becoming a first-time parent gave him a new perspective on the value of life, accompanied writer and mother-to-one Satomi Hara on a visit to Mazda's R&D Center in Yokohama. 

 

They spoke with Takahiro Tochioka, program manager at Mazda’s Development Strategy Planning Department in the R&D Strategy Planning Division, to learn more about the background and vision behind Mazda’s Driver Emergency Assist technology.

 

*1: Ref: Japan Traffic Accidents Database, Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis.


How Driver Emergency Assist Becomes a Trusted Co-Pilot for Safer Driving


Takahiro Tochioka, program manager at Mazda’s Development Strategy Planning Department in the R&D Strategy Planning Division.


Editor and copywriter Satomi Hara lives with her husband and one-year-old child. Hara spoke of how since becoming a mother, news reports of car accidents involving young children have affected her even more deeply. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to learn more about Mazda’s new safety technology,” Hara shares.

Mazda’s Driver Emergency Assist (DEA) system was developed with the Mazda Co-Pilot Concept, an approach that aims to provide drivers with a sense of security akin to having a co-pilot sitting next to them. The system works in the background, continuously monitoring the driver’s state. When it detects a change, such as sudden drowsiness or a loss of consciousness, the system engages driving assistance features calibrated to the driver's condition.

To showcase the Mazda CX-80’s   safety technology in action, we road tested the vehicle with a test driver who simulated losing consciousness while driving, to see how the car would respond to changes in the driver's condition and adapt in real-time.

The test driver simulated losing consciousness to test the car’s response.


The Driver Emergency Assist system detected the change in the driver’s condition and triggered a warning sound, displaying a message onscreen to alert the passengers of an emergency stop. “The car is centering all on its own!” Hara noted, surprised by the automatic lane-keeping safety function.

Once the system detects a driver emergency, it activates the driver assistance features. These enable the car to maintain lane position and safe following distance while providing brake control to both avoid collisions and minimize potential impact, all working together to maintain safe driving conditions.

As a safety precaution against false activation, the system includes a 5-second buffer period. If there's no driver response during this time, the system determines the driver is unable to operate the vehicle and alerts both passengers and surrounding traffic that it will initiate an emergency stop.


Once the system reaches this stage, it activates the horn to alert those nearby. “The sound is loud enough that anyone in the vicinity would be made aware that it’s an emergency situation," observed Hara.

The system gradually slows the car down before bringing it to a complete stop. In addition to sounding the horn, it flashes the hazard lights and brake lamps to alert surrounding traffic and pedestrians, helping to minimize any potential risks as it slows. “Because the car slows down gradually, it feels safe and controlled,” shared Hara.


The car came to a complete stop while the test driver simulated unconsciousness.

After coming to a complete stop, the system uses Mazda Emergency Call to connect occupants with an operator who can arrange for emergency services or roadside assistance. “In a situation like this, it’s so reassuring to be able to speak to a real person,” commented Hara. Mazda is currently (as of November 22, 2024) the only Japanese car manufacturer offering this comprehensive roadside assistance service integration.


The test driver for our driving demonstration was Toshio Matsubara, Senior Expert for the Advanced Safety Vehicle Development Department of the Integrated Control System Development Division . He had to simulate losing consciousness twice, as the first attempt didn't trigger the system.

“It’s actually quite difficult to simulate unconsciousness in a way that activates the Driver Emergency Assist system,” explained Matsubara. “When you think about it, we’re not always facing straight ahead while driving. That’s why Mazda’s Driving Emergency Assist system has been carefully trained to recognize only genuine cases of unconsciousness, where the body exhibits complete loss of muscle tension."


Toshio Matsubara, Senior Expert, Advanced Safety Vehicle Development Department, Integrated Control System Development Division.

The Driver Emergency Assist features can also be manually activated by passengers in an emergency. This is done by pressing the SOS button on the ceiling and pulling the electronic parking brake switch.


The Mazda CX-80- features an SOS button used to manually activate Driver Emergency Assist.

Yasuhiro Nakashima, Expert Engineer for the Advanced Safety Vehicle Development Department of the Integrated Control System Development Division, who joined Matsubara in the driving demonstration, shared this insight.

“There is evidence   in some fatal accidents that passengers were attempting to remove the driver's foot from the accelerator, or trying to push down the brake as the vehicle continued accelerating,” says Nakashima. 

“Which is why having a feature that allows passengers to activate the safety system is so important for preventing these accidents," added Tochioka.


Yasuhiro Nakashima, Expert Engineer, Advanced Safety Vehicle Development Department, Integrated Control System Development Division.

"Yes, I can see why that would be necessary,”   Hara reflected. “Even when there’s a passenger in the car, they can’t just take over if a driver loses consciousness. Having the Driver Emergency Assist system there as a backup gives you real peace of mind, as a driver and a passenger."

78% of Drivers Experience Drowsiness: Mazda’s Driver Emergency Assist Approach to Health Emergency Accidents

After experiencing the driving demo and learning more about Mazda’s Driver Emergency Assist system, Hara interviewed program manager   Tochioka about the technology from a consumer’s perspective.

“Over the years, Mazda has integrated a range of safety technologies in its vehicles. How does Driver Emergency Assist differ from these systems?” asked Hara.


“Actually, the Driver Emergency Assist system uses many safety technologies that are already in Mazda vehicles to keep the car driving safely,” Tochioka explained. "We've evolved these from i-ACTIVSENSE—Mazda’s suite of advanced safety and driver assistance technologies. And the emergency call function isn't entirely new either—we already had a system that automatically activates when airbags deploy or collisions are detected.

"What's innovative here is our new Driver Monitoring System. This system continuously monitors the driver's condition by sensing changes in posture, eye movement, head position, and steering wheel and pedal operations. It alerts the driver if it detects the situation has become dangerous, and can determine when continued driving is no longer possible."


Nakashima points out the internal camera used to observe the driver. 

Mazda’s current driver monitoring technology already alerts and warns drivers when it detects drowsiness or eyes off the road. Driver Emergency Assist takes this a step further: it can detect sudden driver health emergencies and automatically slow and stop the vehicle in response.

Mazda also plans to further advance its driver eye-tracking technology. In practical terms, this means developing a system that can determine exactly what drivers are looking at—whether it's traffic signals, road signs, the road itself, or pedestrians. By combining this with Driver Emergency Assist technology, Mazda can create an even safer driving experience. 

 

"What issue was behind Mazda’s decision to develop a system like Driver Emergency Assist?" asked Hara.

“Despite efforts to prevent them, accidents caused by sudden driver health emergencies are still happening,” explained Tochioka. “Human error leads to various types of accidents—drivers might miss an approaching vehicle and have a head-on collision, or momentarily lose focus and drift into oncoming traffic. And according to a survey by the Express Highway Research Foundation of Japan, 78% of drivers experience drowsiness while driving.”

In today's rapidly aging society, accidents caused by driver health emergencies such as seizures and sudden illness are of particular concern, especially as these can easily lead to serious accidents involving others. The number of these incidents have been steadily increasing in Japan, with reports showing more than 300 cases in 2021.*²

 

*2: Ref: Japan Traffic Accidents Database, Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis


Tochioka continues. “At Mazda, we recognize how important it is to address this issue, and that led to the Co-Pilot Concept for developing our Driver Emergency Assist system. The term ‘co-pilot’ is significant here: it's about having a watchful partner who's always ready to support the driver when needed. We believe that to give drivers confidence and peace of mind, a safety system needs to feel like human support rather than just a mechanical response, and that philosophy has informed our design process."

 

“So, the Driver Emergency Assist system helps reduce serious accidents and minimize damage when drivers face a sudden emergency,” Hara reflected. “Having cars with this technology on our roads provides peace of mind not just for drivers but for pedestrians too. As a parent, I know what it’s like to experience sleep-deprivation from staying up all night with an infant, and I find the system particularly reassuring for parents of young children.”

 



Can Driving Make Us Happier? Questioning the Ideal of a Fully-Automated Driving Future

 

"When I imagine the ideal car of the future, I tend to picture a fully autonomous vehicle, effortlessly taking us anywhere we want to go,” shared Hara. “Once we have the technology to enable safe, self-driving cars, wouldn't that eliminate this need to account for human error and sudden driver emergencies?"

“That’s a great question,” Tochioka responded. “At Mazda, we question if a future of passive passengers and no driving would truly make us happy. Humans are creatures who grow through taking initiative and accomplishing goals through their own will—that's how we gain a sense of being alive and experience joy.

Driving is an activity that gives people something essential for living a happy life. You could almost say it has a therapeutic effect. It’s this belief that is at the core of Mazda's ‘joy of driving’ vision."


According to a University of Tsukuba study, seniors who stop driving are 2.16 times more likely to need long-term care than those who continue to drive.

 

 

Tochioka continues. “Research in psychology has found that when we continue to accomplish goals by pushing ourselves to our full potential, it helps us not only build confidence but also increase our overall sense of well-being. This is what we feel when we drive a car and it does what we want it to—we’re experiencing this same sense of joy and accomplishment.

"At Mazda, we've always developed our cars around the concept of Jinba Ittai. Translating as “horse and rider as one” it refers to the intuitive connection between a Mazda and its driver, and means creating cars that respond exactly as the driver intends. This philosophy not only enhances driving pleasure but also contributes to safety, since everyone naturally wants to drive safely and avoid accidents.

“Driving a car opens us up to different types of communication and connection—whether it's traveling somewhere with friends and family, or meeting new people and places at the destination. Even as driving assistance technology evolves, we want to support people in achieving their goals safely while maintaining their agency as drivers. And ultimately, we want to cherish these human connections. That's our vision at Mazda."


Before ending the demonstration, Hara had a chance to test drive the CX-80 and experience its driving dynamics firsthand. Generally used to driving a smaller passenger car, Hara was initially nervous about driving an SUV, and was surprised to find how comfortable the experience was. "The driver's seat allows for precise adjustments, has excellent visibility, and with the rear-view camera monitor, I felt completely at ease driving. It was literally as Tochioka described—the car did what I wanted it, making the whole driving experience fun and enjoyable!” enthused Hara.


“As a parent, safety is always front of mind. I was impressed with the range of safety features on the CX-80, like keeping you in your lane if you start to drift, and better protection against rear-end collisions."

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Esaki shared his thoughts on this experience: “Reporting on this technology prompted me to reflect on the risks of drowsiness and sudden health emergencies while driving—concerns I’m sure every driver can relate to. As a parent, the thought of what might happen if I become unwell at the wheel while driving my family naturally makes me tense. From that perspective, experiencing Driver Emergency Assist was truly reassuring. Hara and I discussed how it’s like having another driver watching over you, gently encouraging you with "Don't worry, I've got your back." It’s a technology that can make driving feel much more relaxed. I hope that as these safety technologies become more widespread, we can move one step closer to a society free from traffic fatalities, and together create a future where everyone can enjoy the freedom to drive wherever they want, whenever they want.”




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Driver Emergency Assist in Mazda’s CX-80: Program manager's Vision for a Trusted Co-Pilot

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