Photo/Illutration A glowing risk indicator at the back of the steering wheel alerts the driver when the artificial intelligence-powered support system detects a pedestrian. (Provided by Honda Motor Co.)

Amid heightened competition to develop accident-prevention systems, Honda Motor Co. set a goal of reducing the number of fatal crashes involving its vehicles to zero by 2050.

The automaker said Nov. 25 that it is developing an artificial intelligence-powered system for installment in new vehicles in the latter half of the 2020s.

It said the first goal with the AI system is to halve the number of fatal accidents by 2030 compared with the figure in 2020.

The AI system will analyze the road situation and the driver’s condition through information captured by sensors and cameras. It will immediately alert the driver to any potential accidents, Honda said.

For example, when the driver seems oblivious to a motorcycle approaching from behind, the system emits a warning sound from a speaker behind the driver.

It will also vibrate the backrest to rouse drivers when their eyes show signs of drowsiness.

The AI system will learn and accumulate driving data to help control steering and speed if the car staggers from side to side or when it detects more delays in the driver’s operations than usual.

Honda said the system is expected to prevent accidents caused by elderly drivers who are often unaware of their failing driving skills.

In addition, the system will predict the possibility of pedestrians emerging in front of the vehicle based on the direction of their faces and bodies. It will alert not only the driver but also the pedestrians by triggering an alarm on their smartphones via a communication function, Honda said.

“We will devote our management resources to such technologies and put our utmost emphasis on safety,” Honda R&D Co. President Keiji Otsu said.

Honda has also improved its existing support system to activate automatic brakes in a more responsive manner and sound an alarm when cars approach from both sides of an intersection with poor visibility.

The improved system will be introduced in China in 2022 before it will be available on all cars to go on sale in developed countries by 2030, Honda said.

RACE FOR SUPPORT SYSTEMS

According to the National Police Agency, advancements in driving support systems helped to push the number of traffic fatalities to a record low of 2,839 in 2020.

But automakers continue to compete against each other to produce the best safety features.

In July 2020, Toyota Motor Corp. released a system that prevents unintended acceleration caused by drivers who accidentally press the gas pedal. It can be installed on a dozen or so models, including the Prius.

When the accelerator is suddenly pressed while the vehicle is traveling 30 kph or slower, the system assumes the wrong pedal was hit and prevents the car from gaining speed even if there are no obstacles ahead.

Toyota said it released the system after a fatal accident caused by an elderly driver in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district and other serious cases.

Mazda Motor Corp. has developed a system that stops the vehicle when camera images show the driver has fallen ill. The system will be available on new cars released in or after 2022.

Subaru Corp. has upgraded its driving assistance system introduced last year to make the vehicle automatically slow down near curves and toll booths on expressways.

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