REALIZATION OF AN AUTOMOTIVE SOCIETY THAT OFFERS SAFETY AND PEACE OF MIND

Mazda promotes safety and security initiatives from the three perspectives of vehicles, people, and roads and infrastructure to create infrastructure that allows everyone to move freely and enjoy a fulfilling life. The Company thereby aims to contribute to the realization of a safe and secure automotive society. 

Mazda Proactive Safety is Mazda's safety philosophy based on understanding, respecting, and trusting the driver. Mazda places this philosophy at the heart of its research on and development of safety technologies. Ensuring safe driving under a variety of circumstances requires one to operate their vehicle while predicting potential risks of accidents and making appropriate decisions. However, no matter how careful people are, some accidents cannot be avoided. To address such accidents, the Company is utilizing the insight gained through years of research on human-engineering mechanisms to develop advanced safety technologies that reduce the risk of being exposed to dangerous circumstances, as opposed to responding once a dangerous circumstance has arisen. These technologies are offered to drivers under Mazda Proactive Safety. 

In addition to refining its safety technologies, Mazda promotes technical development based on the belief that the very act of spreading these technologies throughout society is a way of demonstrating the value it offers. In developing safety technologies, the Company applies the Building Block concept in a manner similar to the approach used for environmental technologies. 

Building Blocks toward the Realization of an Automotive Society that Offers Safety and Peace of Mind

Based on an original safety concept, Mazda Proactive Safety, Mazda is continuing to develop advanced driving support technologies that utilize IT. The Company is also working to create vehicles that enhance the safety and peace of mind for drivers, passengers, and everyone else around. In terms of what Mazda can achieve between now and 2040 through automotive technologies, the Company aims to achieve for zero deaths resulting from its new vehicles.

Basic safety is a crucial performance element underpinning the safety we feel in our everyday lives. For this reason, Mazda promotes the continuous evolution of basic safety technologies and will install these technologies in all vehicles as standard to contribute to the realization of an automotive society that offers safety and peace of mind. 

Mazda believes that the ideal driving position not only allows drivers to properly control a vehicle but can also improve their handling when attempting to avoid emergency collisions and reduce injury to occupants should a collision occur. Based on this belief, the Company has offered driving position lectures by experts at the Mazda Driving Academy and other events. Large product group launched after 2022 (the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90) have incorporated an automatic driving position guide to help as many people as possible achieve the driving position that the Company considers ideal.* As one of Mazda’s driver personalization systems, this feature estimates the driver’s physical build based on the body data that they have input in advance as well as by detecting the positions of their eyes with a camera. This feature will then automatically adjust the positions and angles of the driver’s seat, the steering wheel, the Active Driving Display (ADD), and the outer mirrors. The driver can also make fine adjustments on their own. 

* The feature is only available for certain vehicle grades. 

Mazda offers a layout for brake and accelerator pedals that enables them to be pressed while sitting in a natural position in order to allow people to enjoy safe and comfortable driving with the ideal driving position. In this layout, the accelerator pedal is located where the driver can stretch their foot forward and naturally rest it on the accelerator pedal when siting in the driver’s seat. The distance between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal has also been reviewed and optimized. This more ideal pedal layout is anticipated to reduce driving fatigue and lower the possibility of the driver stepping on the wrong pedal when braking in an emergency. Moreover, the accelerator pedal employs an organ-type design. With this design, the driver’s foot and the pedal follow the same trajectory when the driver’s heel is placed on the floor. This minimizes deviations in its trajectory and makes it easier to control the accelerator pedal while reducing leg fatigue on long drives. 

Mazda considers it important to secure good visibility to help the driver identify and react to their surroundings, such as road environment, other vehicles, obstacles, and pedestrians including children. Accordingly, door mirrors on all Mazda passenger vehicles currently available on the market are installed on the outer door board in a lower position to expand the scope of visibility through the mirror. For the 2019 Mazda3 and subsequent models, visibility has been further enhanced via a combination of the inherent slenderness and the well-devised shape of the A-pillar, which reduces blind spots. One of the areas where increased visibility is noticeable is during left turns, which are at high risk for coming into contact with children. 

Introducing the See-Through View Technology, which Helps the Driver Check the Surroundings

Mazda has been committed to developing a human machine interface (HMI), which denotes equipment and mechanisms that facilitate communication of information about various inputs occurring during driving between the driver and the vehicle based on the concept of a “Heads-up Cockpit.” This concept is meant to allow people to focus on driving while considering a variety of information but still prioritizing safety. Based on Mazda’s human-centered design philosophy for HMI, the cockpit is designed to minimize three risk factors for careless driving*1 (cognitive distraction, visual distraction, and manual distraction) to enable the driver to concentrate on driving. The information necessary for driving is presented in order of priority so that the driver can concentrate their attention on driving and thus reduce cognitive distraction. Indications in front of the driver’s seat have been simplified to make the display easier to see and thus reduce visual distraction. Meanwhile, indicators and other intuitively operable devices are installed to reduce manual distraction. 

More-Advanced HMI Based on an Enhanced Human-Centered Design Philosophy

The CX-60 was the first model to be equipped with an HMI that featured an advanced indicator system based on an enhanced human-centered design philosophy.*2 One of the most prominent advancements of  this system lies in the increased area of the ADD, which displays vehicle and navigation information. Large product group launched after the CX-60 feature an ADD that is three times larger than ADDs in preceding models. In conjunction with the enlargement of the ADD, the indicator layout has also been reconstructed and the size of characters and graphics have been increased to make displayed information more recognizable and more quickly readable.

*1 The following are three risk factors for careless driving. 

・ Cognitive distraction: When the driver is distracted by something other than vehicle control, such as checking the position of a switch or its operation method 

・ Visual distraction: When the driver takes their eyes off the road to check information or for other purposes 

・ Manual distraction: When the driver makes large movements of their body and adopts an awkward posture to operate a device 

*2 The feature is only available for certain vehicle grades. 

Mazda has been developing technologies for mitigating injuries to the driver, passenger, and pedestrians and damage to other vehicles involved in accidents, mainly focusing on analyzing various real cases of accidents and a variety of forms of accident-caused injuries and damage in the market, as well as human-engineering mechanisms for causing injuries to human bodies. Mazda’s major safety technologies are described below.

Lightweight collision-safety body:

Mazda has developed a sturdy vehicle body structure that can absorb energy very efficiently by introducing highly strong material for pillars and frames, reinforcing skeleton joints, and designing the optimal forms of skeleton joint sections. This body can absorb and disperse impacts in various directions to support the cabin and mitigate its deformation.

Occupant protection:

Mazda has developed a technology for reducing injuries based on research on the human characteristics of people who are different in terms of build, including elderly people. Mazda vehicles use an occupant-protection structure in anticipation of various forms of accidents and injuries.

Pedestrian protection:

As a technology for mitigating injuries to not only drivers and passengers but also pedestrians in the event of an accident, Mazda vehicles use a pedestrian-protection structure designed in anticipation of injuries in various spots in pedestrians’ bodies.

i-ACTIVSENSE*

Mazda is committed to continuous evolution of i-Activsense advanced safety technologies to deliver safer, more reliable vehicles to a greater number of customers, ranging from beginners to elderly drivers. Mazda’s i-Activsense is an umbrella term covering a series of advanced safety technologies developed in line with Mazda Proactive Safety principles. These technologies include active safety technologies, which support safer driving by helping the driver to recognize potential hazards, as well as precrash safety technologies, which help to avert collisions when an accident may be difficult to prevent or reduce their severity in situations where they cannot be avoided. 

* i-Activsense technologies are designed to help reduce damage and/or injuries resulting from accidents. However, each system has its limitations, and no safety system or combination of such systems can prevent all accidents. These systems are not a replacement for safe and attentive driving. Please drive carefully at all times and do not rely on technology to prevent an accident. 

Advanced Safety Technologies  i-ACTIVSENSE (in Japanese only)

Mazda has conducted extensive research on human-engineering mechanisms. By understanding and modeling physical bodies and brain mechanisms, the Company has come up with the Mazda Co-Pilot Concept, an advanced driving support technology that can help to reduce risks associated with the driver becoming sleepy or unwell. Based on this concept, people enjoy driving and are revitalized mentally and physically through the process. Meanwhile, the car knows all the movements of the driver and the car is driving “virtually” in the background at all times. If the unexpected occurs, such as the driver suddenly losing consciousness, the car takes control to help prevent an accident and reduce potential injuries. It also automatically contacts emergency services and drives to a safer location. The Company aims to develop technologies of the Mazda Co-Pilot Concept, which uses autonomous driving technologies to allow drivers to enjoy any drive with peace of mind and make these technologies standard. 

Driver Emergency Assist (DEA) System*

The CX-60 is equipped with the Driver Emergency Assist (DEA) system, an advanced safety technology that can detect abnormalities in the driver’s condition to help avoid an accident or reduce damage and injuries. Working with Driver Monitoring, the DEA system will slow down and stop the vehicle if it becomes difficult for the driver to continue to drive due to a sudden sickness or for other reasons, regardless of whether the vehicle is running on an expressway, an automobile road, or an ordinary road. This system therefore helps avoid an accident or reduce accident damage and injuries. In April 2023, the system was recognized with an Ichimura Industrial Achievement Award at the 55th Ichimura Industrial Awards (organized by the Ichimura Foundation for New Technology). 

* This system is designed to complement the driver’s safe driving; it will function only under certain conditions, and its functions have limitations. No safety system or combination of such systems can prevent all accidents. This system is not a replacement for safe and attentive driving. Please drive carefully at all times and do not rely on technology to prevent an accident. For details, please ask dealer staff or refer to Mazda’s website. 

Step 1: Monitor the state of the driver and detect an abnormality 

Step 1-1: After detecting an abnormality in the driver’s condition, start the hazard lights blinking to inform the passenger that the vehicle will make an emergency stop soon 

Step 2: If the driver cannot resume driving, slow down and stop the vehicle while blinking not only the hazard lights but also the brake lights and sounding the horn repeatedly to warn others 

Step 3: Automatically make emergency contact with an external party as needed 

Some functions of the DEA system are available only for customers who have contracted for the connected services and inserted an SD card in their navigation system. 

（As of December, 2024)

Rating by vehicle model

Recent NCAP Evaluations*7 

As of December, 2024

*1 Japan New Car Assessment Program: Vehicle collision safety performance evaluations conducted by the National Agency for Automotive Safety and Victims’ Aid. For collision safety performance, 5★ is the highest possible rating. For Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV) Technology Assessment, ASV+++ is the highest possible rating (from 2018 to 2019). 

*2 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 5★ Safety Ratings program. 5★ is the highest possible rating. 

*3 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Safety performance evaluations by an independent, nonprofit organization funded by auto insurers. Top Safety Pick + (Plus) is the highest possible rating. 

*4 European New Car Assessment Programme: An independent agency comprised of the transport authorities of European countries, etc. 5★ is the highest possible rating. 

*5 No sales as of the end of May, 2024

*6 Not evaluated

*7 Excludes OEM vehicles 

*8 Mazda 2 Hybrid

Mazda earns most Top Safety Pick + awards of any single brand  (in Japanese only)

It is said that most traffic accidents are caused directly or indirectly by human behavior. Mazda endeavors to raise safety awareness among adults and children through various means of communication. 

Since FY March 2015, Mazda has held the Mazda Driving Academy, an experience and training program, to help customers in Japan learn the theories and techniques for driving their cars easily, comfortably, and safely. 

【Statistics from FY March 2024】

Mazda Driving Academy held seven times 

For more information, please refer to MAZDA OFFICIAL WEBSITE (in Japanese only)

Initiatives toward Realizing a Safe Automotive Society with ITS*

Traffic accidents and congestion are serious social problems in many countries and cities. To solve these problems, worldwide efforts have been taken to introduce advanced technologies for roads and automobiles. As an automobile manufacturer, Mazda has been proactively supporting the ITS project driven by the government and private sector, and working collaboratively with the national and local governments and related companies in order to realize a society where the road traffic is safe and accident-free. 

* ITS: Intelligent transport system uses telecommunications technology to bring together vehicles, people, and the traffic environment, with the aim of easing traffic congestion and reducing the number of accidents throughout Japan. 

Mazda is promoting research and development of ITS as a means to monitor the objects in a distant position that cannot be detected by Mazda’s advanced technology i-Activsense or the areas in an intersection that cannot be seen from the driver. 

* Website of ITS Connect Promotion Consortium (External link)