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.