Mazda to feature Smart City Brake Support advanced safety technology in CX-5

13 February 2012

Mazda Motor Corporation has developed an advanced safety technology called Smart City Brake Support (SCBS), which helps a driver to avoid a frontal collision when driving at low speeds in the city or in slow traffic. The SCBS system will be available in Mazda’s new crossover SUV, the Mazda CX-5, to be launched this spring.

The SCBS system uses a laser sensor to detect a vehicle or obstacle in front and automatically reduces the extent of the brake rotor travel to quicken braking operation. If the driver fails to perform any operation to avoid a collision, such as applying the brake, SCBC automatically activates the brakes and reduces the engine output at the same time.

In this way, SCBC helps to avoid collisions or mitigate the damage from rear-end collisions at low speeds, which are the most common accidents with other vehicles. The SCBS system also includes Acceleration Control for Automatic Transmission (available only in Japan), which helps avoid unintentional acceleration that could be caused by depressing the accelerator instead of the brake pedal.

When driving from approximately 4-30 km/h (2.5-19 mph), a laser sensor mounted at the top of the front windshield glass detects a vehicle or obstacle in front of the car and reduces brake rotor travel to quicken braking when the system calculates that there is a risk of a collision occurring.

Next, if the driver fails to perform any avoidance maneuver such as applying the brake, an automatic braking operation is activated. When the speed difference between the driver's car and the vehicle in front is less than 30 km/h, the system is designed to avoid, or mitigate the damage from a collision.

If a driver accelerates when an obstacle in front has been detected by the SCBS’ laser sensor, the system alerts the driver with an alarm sound and an indicator. At the same time, engine output is curbed to stop unintended acceleration.

Mazda is intensifying its safety-related research and development efforts, aiming for the ultimate goal of realizing an accident-free and safe motorized society. Mazda intends to extend its advanced safety technologies, such as SCBS, to upcoming new models, starting with the Mazda CX-5, to provide all customers with driving pleasure together with outstanding environmental and safety performance.