Mazda is expanding its safety strategy beyond the vehicle itself through a new partnership with the American Automobile Association (AAA) and HAAS Alert, adding real-time digital alerts designed to warn approaching motorists when a Mazda customer is stopped on the roadside and has requested assistance.
Mazda Takes Safety Beyond the Vehicle
Mazda’s focus on safety has resulted in multiple IIHS Top Safety Pick and Safety Pick+ recognitions for its vehicles. Despite a somewhat down year in sales, the brand has promised to keep safety as a main selling point as it works to continue attracting customers.
The new partnership with AAA, the leading roadside assistance provider, and HAAS Alert, a leader in connected vehicle safety, extends that approach beyond the cars Mazda engineers.
The new feature combines AAA’s Roadside Assistance Program with HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud Protect service to provide real-time digital alerts to approaching motorists when a Mazda customer is stopped on the roadside and has requested roadside assistance.
According to the companies, the system is intended to strengthen Mazda’s commitment to safety beyond the vehicle and help protect Mazda customers and passengers when they are most vulnerable.
How Mazda’s Roadside Safety Alerts Work
When a Mazda owner requests assistance through the My Mazda app or a toll-free phone call, an AAA-affiliated service provider is sent to provide support.
At the same time, the partnership with HAAS Alert enables drivers to receive “Slow Down, Move Over” alerts through their Safety Cloud-connected vehicles or mobile navigation apps.
Mazda says the real-time digital alerts address what happens during an emergency event outside the vehicle, an aspect of vehicle safety that is often overlooked.
Mazda Says Safety Continues After an Incident
Jennifer Morrison, Director of Vehicle Safety Strategy at Mazda North American Operations, said safety does not end when an accident is over or when a vehicle stops on the side of the road.
Morrison said some of the most dangerous moments occur after the initial incident, when drivers are on the roadside with a disabled vehicle. The partnership with AAA and HAAS Alert is intended to help protect Mazda customers as well as everyone else on the road.
Through the new roadside alert feature, Mazda is extending its safety philosophy beyond the vehicle to include the potentially vulnerable moments that follow an emergency or roadside breakdown.
