Mobility Performance
Safety Technologies through In-depth Research of human
Honda believes that in order to enhance the safety of mobility, complementing or extending human capabilities, such as supporting communication with various traffic participants, is vital in addition to protecting passengers and pedestrians and avoiding collisions. Honda, as a leader in safety technology with a Human-Centric Thinking, will continue to evolve its technological development to gain an even deeper understanding of people and to be more closely attuned to their wishes.
History
By developing safety technologies by understanding accidents in real-world conditions where various types of mobility such as motorcycles and automobiles coexist, and by analyzing the mechanisms in detail, Honda has developed the world’s first*1 life-size pedestrian dummy that reproduces the behavior of the human body in a collision with an automobile, constructed the world's first indoor omni-directional collision test facility that enables research on more realistic accident scenarios, and for automobiles, has developed the driver-side SRS airbag system, Crash Compatibility Body*2 and the world’s first Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS). For motorcycles, Honda has developed new technologies such as the world’s first mass-produced airbag system.
By 2014, Honda developed its safe driving support systems Honda SENSING and Acura Watch, which have since been applied across its automobile products, and technologies have been continuously evolved.
- Honda survey
- A collision-safety body frame that significantly improves self-protection performance while reducing aggression toward other vehicles by efficiently dispersing and absorbing collision energy in the engine compartment when colliding with another vehicle.
Main Technologies
As Honda aims to achieve its 2030 milestone, in addition to enhancing collision safety performance in its technological development, the functional evolution and widespread use of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) will become critical.
In addition to Honda SENSING, which has been available since 2014, Honda offers two more types of advanced driver assistance systems: Honda SENSING 360, which responds to accident scenarios from all directions, and Honda SENSING Elite, which aims to eliminate human errors when driving.
Honda SENSING < Supporting safe and comfortable driving and accident avoidance >
Honda SENSING senses mainly in front of vehicle, and detects vehicles and pedestrians to support safe and comfortable driving and accident avoidance. The effectiveness of this technology in reducing accidents has been confirmed by an 82% reduction in rear-end collisions and a 56% reduction*3 in pedestrian accidents in the Honda SENSING-equipped N-BOX kei-car sold in Japan. As of 2022, 99% of Honda vehicles sold in Japan and the US, and 86% globally, are Honda SENSING-equipped vehicles, reaching a cumulative total of more than 14 million units.
In order to reduce the number of motorcyclists killed in traffic accidents, Honda has rolled out Honda SENSING with motorcycle detection starting with its 2021 models, aiming to cover all models sold worldwide by 2030.
- Difference in the number of fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents per registered vehicle for vehicles equipped with Honda SENSING compared to non-AEB equipped N-BOX. Honda survey based on data from the Japan Traffic Accident Analysis Center.
Honda SENSING 360 < Sensing all directions >
Omni-directional Honda SENSING 360 further enhances response scenarios to avoid impending accidents or to mitigate damage by expanding the accident-avoidance response scenarios to all directions. Honda plans to equip all of its automobiles sold in developed nations by 2030.
Honda SENSING 360 is currently being developed for the next evolution of new technologies, such as driver alerts and collision warning, lane avoidance, and emergency avoidance steering assist technologies, to further reduce the driver fatigue by accurately detecting driver abnormalities and the surrounding environment to reduce the risk of accidents, and will be rolled out after 2024 to meet the needs of each region.
For motorcycles, the Company is aiming to equip more models with its advanced braking systems, such as ABS and CBS, as well as lights with high visibility for both riders and other road users, and in FY2024, the application rate of advanced brakes in emerging countries*6 reached 85%
To track the progress of these initiatives, Honda has defined key performance indicators (KPIs) for advanced safety equipment application rates such as of Honda SENSING 360 for automobiles in advanced countries*4, Honda SENSING for four-wheel vehicles in emerging countries*5, and advanced braking systems (ABS/CBS) for motorcycles in emerging countries*6 so as to set target to ensure steady progress.
Toward the Future
Honda SENSING Elite < Aiming to eliminate human driving errors >
Honda SENSING Elite employs the most advanced technology among Honda's advanced driving support systems, and is equipped with Traffic Jam Pilot, an advanced technology compatible with Level 3*7 automatic driving (conditional driving automation in limited areas), which became the world’s first automatic driving system to receive type designation from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2021. The system allows the vehicle to drive itself instead of the driver under certain conditions, such as when there is traffic congestion on expressways.
Currently, Honda is developing new technologies that enable safe, secure, and seamless travel from home to destination, including on public roads, by using Honda's unique AI technology that learns from experience to recognize complex scenes and respond to complex environments such as public roads. These technologies will be applied from the mid-2020s.
- Level 3 automated driving defined by the Japanese government (in accordance with SAE). Under certain conditions, the system monitors surrounding traffic conditions and operates the vehicle on behalf of the driver.
