Why your new Mazda wants to watch you sleeping

Your new Mazda wants to watch you sleeping... but don't get too creeped out; it's part of a new safety push from the Japanese brand that has seen driver-facing cameras installed in the all-new Mazda 3 and the CX-30 SUV, both of which are on their way to Australia.

The brand's new Driver Monitoring System will "observe the driver’s condition", using a cabin-facing infrared camera and infrared LED used to measure how drowsy a driver is getting.

The optional camera, which is mounted alongside the multimedia screen, measures how wide a driver's eyes are open at any given time, as well as counting the number of blinks (with more blinking generally equating to drowsiness). Critically, Mazda tells us the camera won't record, so you'l never have to worry about your roadtrip sing-a-longs making it onto YouTube.

The camera in the new Mazda 3 is mounted alongside the infotainment screen

It will also check your line of site and how frequently you're moving your eyes, as well as focus on the angle of your mouth and face to check whether you're falling asleep. And if you are, the system will sound an alarm to wake you up, as well as adjust the sensitivity of the AEB system to respond more quickly.

"The Mazda Proactive Safety philosophy guides all the company’s research and development efforts in safety performance, driving advances in every area from safety fundamentals, such as the driving position, through passive safety technologies to advanced i-Activsense features," says Mazda.

"This is a further evolved capacity to provide all occupants a safe, secure and enjoyable driving experience, helping to realise an accident-free automotive society."

Are you on-board with on-board cameras? Or would you be skipping that option? Tell us in the comments below.