Nissan’s safer vehicles via message alerts
To achieve a safer environment on the road, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is gearing up an “anti-drunk driving” campaign by incorporating a message alert system into Nissan vehicles’ navigation systems starting end of June for the Japan market.
Nissan, which has been in the automobile industry for 75 years, takes the step to lessen accidents in Japan involving Nissan vehicles through the updated CARWINGS navigation systems. The CARWINGS navigation systems was first installed on the Nissan Skyline, which was released in November of last year, either as a standard feature on certain models or as a manufacturer option.
Immediately after the vehicle’s ignition is turned on, the message alert “Do not drive after drinking!” will appear for about five seconds the navigation panel between 5:30 pm and 5:00 am. As a reminder for the rest of the day, “Let’s continue safe driving today” will appear between 5:00 am and 5:30 pm.
The Japan-established automaker has been an active supporter for safe driving for years. Nissan has been raising public awareness and educating drivers to the hazards caused by drinking and driving. The maker of Pathfinder and Navara has been an avid supporter of Hello Safety which is held three times a year in Japan. Educational kits on traffic safety, which includes ways to help prevent drunk driving, is distributed to kindergarten aged children in Japan. In the US, Nissan also supports Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Strides for Change charity walks, which is concerned with child passenger safety. The company, through their committed employees, conduct safety demonstrations and provide participants with a quick reference guide on the proper way to install car safety seats for children up to age 10. This charity walks sponsored by Nissan has generated millions of dollars to stop drunk driving.
In the upcoming years, Nissan aims to build safer vehicles that are equipped with advanced safety technologies. Reducing half of the number of accidents in Japan involving Nissan vehicles by 2015 is just one of the long-term goals of Nissan. In addition, Nissan has engaged on the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) project which is aimed at reducing road accidents via the analysis of traffic data collected from on-the-road vehicles and traffic beacons. The automaker, with the government and private sectors, also sees this approach as the first step to achieve its long-term goal of a safe driving environment for all.