Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
6 Mar 2019
2 min read

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
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.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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