One of the most exciting elements of technological innovation you’ll see at your local Mazda dealer is the constantly improving safety features available on new Mazda vehicles. We’re already getting used to cars that can self-park, remind drivers to check their backseats, and automatically apply the brakes to avoid a collision. The future will continue this trend of safety transformation with the inclusion of tech that can actually tell if a driver has a health problem like a heart attack or stroke.
Your local Mazda dealer will have vehicles with this kind of tech as early as next year. By 2025, Mazda even expects to have the ability to tell when a driver is about to have a health problem and take corrective action.
How Does This Tech Work?
Mazda engineers have been working closely with medical experts from places like Tsukuba University Hospital. The goal is to collect data to determine how a healthy driver looks and acts. This collection creates a baseline that the new tech can compare against.
The new cars utilize cameras inside the car. Cameras are currently preferred over laser sensors or other more obtrusive options. The cameras will compare what they see versus the health driver data. If something changes, like a driver slumps over the wheel or becomes suddenly incapacitated, the system will take action.
The goal is that the new unnamed Co-Pilot system will find a safe place to stop the car. It will look for options like the curb of the road. The system will also activate the car’s horn, hazard lights, and blinkers to signal for help. A call to EMS and police will also be relayed from the car.
As this tech progresses, the goal will be to identify signs that lead up to a health emergency instead of waiting for something to happen. This tech will focus on how the driver focuses their vision, if their head sways, and subtle driving changes. It’s not every day that your car can save your life by predicting emergencies.
The Future Of Safety Tech
Your Mazda dealer won’t be the only places technology like this will exist. Volkswagen and Toyota are rumored to be working on similar features for their future cars. Mazda plans to offer this tech in Japan first, followed by the European market. Mazda wants to wait and see how this tech plays out in other parts of the world before bringing it to the U.S.
The biggest concerns with this tech involve how personal information is stored. Those worried about their privacy will be relieved to know that data will not leave the car. It may also take a little while before tech like this is fully accepted on a social level. Luckily, drivers already love vehicles with drier-assist features, so adding other safety measures shouldn’t be too difficult.
Time will tell, but it won’t be too long before your Mazda can step in during emergency situations, which could mean the difference between life and death.
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