Mazda RVM System Awarded by Euro NCAP

Japanese automaker Mazda announced today it will receive the Euro NCAP Advanced award for the Rear Vehicle Monitoring system, which helps the driver avoid dangerous situations or even collisions with other vehicles during a lane change.

The system includes two radar sensors, one mounted in each side of the rear bumper, constantly measure the distance to, and the relative speed of, surrounding vehicles.

At speeds above 60 km/h, Mazda’s RVM warns the driver with a proximity indicator light in the door mirror on the side where, either a vehicle is in the blind spot area, or a vehicle will approach this area in the next 5 seconds from within a zone of up to 50 m.

If the driver switches on the turn signal in the direction of the approaching vehicle, the proximity light blinks rapidly and a beeper sounds to warn the driver not to change lanes. The system is designed to work in virtually every kind of weather and detect all types of vehicles, including motorcycles.

"Mazda identified that nearly 5 percent of all accidents are between vehicles driving in the same direction, nearly 80 percent of which are due to a lane change. Taking into account the system’s specifications, the Mazda RVM has the potential to help avoid more than half of these accidents," a company statement explains.

Mazda was the first Japanese carmaker to introduce a rear vehicle monitoring system to Europe with the Mazda6 RVM in 2008. It was then made available on the Mazda3 and the CX-7 in 2009, and will be included in the new Mazda CX-5 premiering at the IAA in September together with the facelifted Mazda3.