Brake override systems that could address both unintended acceleration and driver error are being studied by a number of Japanese carmakers in the wake of the Toyota recall crisis.
Toyota has already said that it will add the system, which cuts engine power when the accelerator and brake pedals are applied at the same time, to all future vehicles worldwide.
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Nissan uses a system that prioritises the brakes when both pedals are depressed and Mazda said on Tuesday that it would add the system to all future models “as soon as possible” starting this year.
“We decided to do this because it’s the right thing to do,” Mazda spokesman Garett Carr told Reuters, adding that the automaker currently has the feature on some diesel cars sold in Europe.
Reports suggest that the cost of the override system is about US$50 per car but that cost will come down if the technology is more widely attempted.
Reuters said Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Daihatsu – a Toyota unit – all said they were considering adopting the system. The timing and scope of the roll-out were still under study, they said, with Daihatsu suggesting it could become a standard feature “just like airbags or anti-lock brakes.”
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By GlobalDataUnintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles – at the heart of the automaker’s recalls – has been linked with at least five US crash deaths since 2007. The causes of many cases of unintended acceleration are unknown, and are often blamed on driver error.
US transportation secretary Ray LaHood has said that safety regulators may require all new cars to have braking systems that tell the engine to return to idle when both accelerator and brake pedals are depressed.
Toyota estimates that about one-fifth of vehicles sold in the United States have brake override systems. That includes models sold by Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Chrysler.
