Mazda’s attitude to safety goes beyond just protecting drivers and occupants of its own vehicles. It wants to make sure all road users are kept free from harm.
Thanks to Mazda’s Traffic Sign Recognition System (shown above), drivers are made more aware of traffic signs and changes in speed. The system detects and reads road signs – “stop” and “do not enter” for example – and local speed limits using the car’s Forward Sensing Camera, alerting the driver via the car’s Active Driving Display. If you happen to be going too fast, the Active Driving Display will show the recognized speed limit sign, as well as flashing an amber light and then emitting a warning sound, encouraging you to slow down. Think of this system as another pair of eyes on the road, helping you to recognise any potential hazards while keeping you safe.
Mazda’s MX-30 safety tech
The Mazda MX-30’s body was designed to deliver excellent collision safety performance. And Mazda’s engineers considered every possible situation in the event of an accident. Even the battery is equipped with a special protective structure designed to fully shield occupants from the risk of high voltage in a crash. And most recently a front-seat centre airbag* has been introduced in order to protect vehicle occupants from crashing into each other during a collision. Mounted inside the driver’s seat, this airbag protects the head and chest areas and prevents direct contact with the seats or doors on the opposite side of the vehicle should the driver be traveling alone. Engineers ensured that this airbag was rigidly self-supporting and would not easily fall down once activated, even without support from the side. This latest airbag technology will be incorporated into all future Mazda models.
“As of 2020, 11 Mazda models have been given a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.”
ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program)
“The 2021 Mazda3 sedan and hatchback, Mazda6 sedan, Mazda CX-3, Mazda CX-30, Mazda CX-5 and Mazda CX-9 models have all been rated Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS.”
IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Mazda’s lighting safety tech
A suite of Mazda lighting technologies ensures you’ll be able to see further ahead and be more visible to other drivers at night. Mazda’s Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) automatically points the low-beam headlights in the direction the driver intends to travel. Thanks to discharge headlights, the system illuminates a greater distance ahead compared to halogen headlights, improving the driver’s field of vision and visibility around curves and at intersections.
Additionally, High Beam Control (HBC) detects oncoming and preceding vehicles and automatically switches between high and low beams during night driving. This makes it easier for the driver to recognize hazards, while Adaptive LED Headlights (ALH) light up the road ahead as if it were daytime. The system increases visibility at night to help you stay vigilant by combining three technologies: glare-free high beams which automatically dim part of the illuminated area to avoid dazzling other drivers; wide-range low beams which light up a wider area at low speeds; and highway mode which helps you see further when travelling at speed.
“Mazda’s all-new MX-30 is the latest vehicle in its lineup to receive a 5-star Euro NCAP rating.”
Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme)
Mazda’s future safety technology: Co-Pilot Concept
Mazda is developing the Mazda Co-pilot Concept, which is a human-centric autonomous driving system. The system continuously monitors the driver’s condition and if a sudden change in the driver’s physical condition is detected, the car switches to autonomous driving. This brings the car to a safe place, stopping the car and places an emergency call. While many manufacturers are heading towards a fully autonomous future, there are no plans for the Co-Pilot Concept to totally automate the driving experience. Rather it will allow you to enjoy the drive but maintain peace of mind that the car will step in should an emergency arise. Mazda plans to start introducing the Mazda Co-Pilot 1.0 into its vehicles from 2022.
Innovative safety from around the world
Hövding’s airbag for cyclists
Swedish safety technology company Hövding’s unique airbag technology protects cyclists up to 80% more than traditional bicycle helmets. Hövding’s urban cyclist airbag – which sits around your neck like a collar – reads the wearer’s movements 200 times a second and in the event of an accident deploys in 0.1 second, protecting the head. The accident detection system’s algorithm is based on artificial intelligence technology, fed by data which corresponds to both accidents and non-accidents. The data has been created by collecting the movement patterns from over 3,000 staged accidents of different types and intensity, simulated by professional stunt performers. In addition, over 2,000 hours of non-accident data has been collected by 300 regular cyclists. The resulting system allows you to ride safely, while avoiding helmet hair.
Spidi’s motorcycle jacket that warns of pollution
Urban motorcyclists are exposed to 100 times more pollution than car drivers. That’s why Italian motorcycle clothing company Spidi developed the Mission Beta Concept jacket. It features an integrated sensor that detects levels of air pollution while the rider is on the move. If pollution levels are too high, a sleeve-mounted display tells the rider to don the jacket’s integrated anti-contamination mask, which is compatible with any helmet.
Umbrellium’s smart Starling Crossing
Back in 2017, British design and engineering company Umbrellium created the Starling Crossing prototype (pictured). It set out to react in real-time to different road conditions, making pedestrian crossings far safer to use. A network of cameras tracked moving objects and identified whether they were vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians. This data was then used to predict where they were going, re-configuring the patterns, layout and size of pedestrian crossings using computer-controlled LEDs. If there were few pedestrians around, the Starling Crossing would only appear when someone approached. The prototype led to the creation of Starling Technologies. And the company has recently been trialling road safety technology with French international road engineering giant Colas.
*MX-30 front seat central airbag not currently available in market name here.
Words Luke Ponsford