MAZDA COMMITS TO INTRODUCING NEW VEHICLES WITH REAR SEAT REMINDER SYSTEMS TO COMBAT CHILD HEATSTROKE

In an effort to help parents and caregivers be reminded to check for children in rear seats, Mazda has joined an automaker-ledvoluntary commitment to add rear seat reminder systems to its new vehicles. This announcement is the industry’s latest effort to help enhance child safety, and expands upon widespread efforts to increase public awareness regarding the dangers of leaving children alone in a vehicle.

Under this commitment, automakers will innovate by introducing a wide range of approaches to help parents and caregivers remember to check the back seat as they leave a vehicle. These prompts may include a combination of auditory and visual alerts that will activate after a driver turns off the vehicle. With this pledge, the auto industry commits to having the rear seat reminder feature in essentially all cars and trucks by Model Year 2025 or sooner.

“Sadly, each year, we see children die from heatstroke suffered when left unattended in the back seat of passenger vehicles – most of these deaths are caused by children being unintentionally left in the vehicles,” said Mazda President Jeff Guyton. “The commitment by Mazda and the entire automotive industry to install rear seat reminder safety systems underscores how such innovations will help parents and caretakers keep their children safe.”

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.