For most car shoppers, safety is among the highest priorities in their buying decision. Acknowledging this, automakers are continually developing new advanced safety features to make their cars, trucks, and SUVs safer for drivers, other occupants, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Mazda's i-Activsense is an overarching term that describes a series of integrated advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) that utilize sensors, radars, and cameras to make the driving experience safer and less stressful.
Mazda's ultimate goal for i-Activsense is to achieve accident-free mobility. The brand's safety concept has four primary pillars:
The i-Activsense suite includes technologies that assist the driver in becoming more aware of potential hazards with the goal of accident prevention and damage mitigation. Sensors and cameras support a wide range of safety systems to continuously monitor the vehicle's environment from all sides, which is something a driver cannot do on their own.
Mazda integrates various core functionalities under the i-Activsense banner:
Depending on the model, specific passive and active safety systems are available as standard equipment.
For accident avoidance and damage minimization, Mazda employs emergency braking functions in dangerous situations where another vehicle has entered the driver's path. The frontal monitoring systems are also available with pedestrian and cyclist detection.
Mazda also offers similar emergency braking functions when backing, most commonly needed in parking lots and driveways. Mazda also utilizes front and rear cross-traffic warning systems to alert drivers to vehicles approaching from the side, either at intersections or in parking lots. Using cameras and radar combined with the emergency braking system, many drivers can avoid these accidents, even if they have limited visibility and cannot see oncoming traffic.
In addition to the sensor systems at the front and rear, drivers can also benefit from parking cameras that give a front, back, or 360-degree view. Ideally, the driver stopping the car on their own is always better than any situation in which automatic emergency braking must come into play.
Having the best possible visibility at night is another crucial safety factor. Mazda offers advanced LED lighting technologies to properly illuminate the road ahead without creating dangerous glare for oncoming drivers. Depending on the traffic situation, the high beam automatically switches between high and low settings with the help of a camera to ensure optimum visibility for the driver and opposing traffic.
Blind-spot warning using radar technology is another vital piece of potential hazard awareness. Since certain areas around the vehicle are difficult to see for drivers, blind-spot assistance systems monitor the area around the car and alert the driver to other vehicles nearby with visual or auditory warnings or haptic feedback through the steering wheel.
Blind-spot systems are closely related to active lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assistance systems. The lane-departure warning system uses the information from the front camera to identify and recognize the lane markings on the road. The system then sends visual alerts, auditory alerts, and steering wheel vibrations if the driver unintentionally drives over the lane markings.
If a lane change occurs with a turn signal indicator operation or an acceleration event, the system recognizes the maneuver as intended and does not issue an alarm. However, if the lane-keeping assistance system detects an unintentional departure from the lane, an assisting steering impulse may intervene to guide the vehicle back into the center of the lane.
Mazda i-Activsense also includes radar cruise control, an adaptive system with radar-based distance control. The system's primary function enables the driver to preset a speed that the vehicle should maintain on roads. The system uses millimeter-wave radar technology to assess the relative speed and distance to the car in front and adjusts its speed accordingly.
With Mazda i-Activsense, the system works down to a standstill and in tandem with the Traffic Jam Assist system. This system enables the vehicle to follow other cars in front through stop-and-go traffic by employing automatic acceleration, braking, and steering. This functionality reduces the chance of a rear-end collision while also minimizing driver fatigue during long commutes and heavy traffic.
In addition to the external environment, i-Activsense also monitors the driver to ensure alertness and awareness while operating the vehicle. Driver monitoring is an advanced system that monitors the driver's behavior using an infrared camera. The system records and analyzes parameters such as head direction, eye movement, blinking, and corners of the mouth. With the help of this information, the system determines whether the driver is tired, drowsy, or not paying attention. An auditory warning is triggered to help the driver regain alertness and decide to stop and rest.
Mazda's i-Activsense is a comprehensive suite of advanced safety systems that use cameras, radars, and other sensors to bring peace of mind to the driving experience. It helps support occupant safety by assisting the driver in recognizing potential hazards, preventing collisions, and reducing crash severity if an accident occurs. For safety-minded car buyers, there is no higher priority.
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