It is already possible for cars to park themselves, warn sleepy drivers, return to the right lane and provide map routes to destinations. In Japan, Mazda is making cars that know when a driver has a stroke or heart attack. The new generation cars are planned to be launched in 2022.

By 2025, cars will be able to detect sudden health issues and warn their owners, according to the Japanese automaker.

It uses data from cameras in the car instead of laser sensors or other obtrusive technologies. Moreover, it will be available in affordable models, not only luxury ones. It offers promise for one of the most advanced ageing societies in the world.

According to a recent announcement from Mazda, the company has been working with medical experts, such as Tsukuba University Hospital, to find out what a healthy driver looks like, as opposed to an incapacitated person slumped forward behind the wheel.

Once the Co-Pilot Concept recognizes a problem, it will bring the vehicle to a safe location as soon as possible, such as the roadside curb.

According to Mazda, the car will honk, flash its blinkers, and flash its hazard lights. However, the exact warning signals are still unclear. The car will also send an emergency call to the ambulance and police.

A similar technology is in development by auto giants Volkswagen of Germany and Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan.

Mazda plans to introduce the technology in Europe after Japan. Mazda is waiting to see if it will be accepted within the US market, even though competitors are already offering similar systems to stop vehicles.

In terms of privacy concerns, Mazda says personal data never leaves the vehicle.

Mazda is working on ways to predict health issues even if a driver is not aware they are coming, according to Takahiro Tochioka, the engineer in charge.

Among the things the car will watch for are the way people focus their vision, the swaying of their heads, slight aberrations in driving habits and other subtle changes, he said.

The system will even warn drivers before they notice any symptoms, he told reporters.

“But understanding and cooperation from the drivers around that car is crucial for this technology to work,” he added.

Since Japan has an assumption of widespread public goodwill, Mazda expects the Japanese public to lend a hand to a driver in trouble.

In addition to empowering people to keep driving throughout their lives, Tochioka said the technology will also help reassure families and friends not to be worried. The introduction of Co-Pilot will also give Mazda a chance to get real-world feedback from users, he explained.

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