The new Mazda smart car could save thousands of lives by alerting other road users and the emergency services that a driver has had a stroke.
The yet-to-be-named Co-Pilot Concept will automatically pull over somewhere safe, flash its hazard lights and call the police and ambulance services.
And by 2025, the car may even be able to alart the driver to an imminent stroke before they would have otherwise noticed.
Lead engineer Takahiro Tochioka said that the Japanese car giant is working with health experts on ways to identify that a health emergency is imminent.
Cameras in the car look at changes to focus and head movements as well as small alterations to typical driving habits.
“And it will warn drivers even before actual symptoms appear,” Tochioka told reporters.
“But understanding and cooperation from the drivers around that car is crucial for this technology to work.”
Mazda is hoping that the conscientious Japanese public will intervene if they can see that a driver is in trouble.
The technology will enable Japan’s ageing population to drive for longer, reassuring friends and family of any safety concerns, Tochioka added.
It will be available in both luxury and affordable models, the company has said.
There are also no privacy concerns as the data gathered does not leave the car.
Mazda plans to introduce the technology in Europe after Japan.
Other car manufacturers, including Mazda’s Japanese rival Toyota, are working on similar technologies.
Automatic emergency breaking (AEB) technology is becoming increasingly common in new cars and has been proven to significantly reduce collisions.
A 2015 study by The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) and Australasian NCAP found that AEB led to a 38 per cent reduction in real-world near-end crashes.
