The 2020 Mazda3’s Evolved KODO Design is known to be beautiful and evocative, but did you know it also contributes to the safety and security of children too? Well, Mazda’s new compact car received the Japan-based Kids Design Award for its outstanding front visibility, thereby protecting children from front blind spots.

The Kids Design Award recognizes excellence in products, spaces, and services that realize three design missions: Children can live safely; Children can grow up sensibility and creatively; and Create a society where children can be born and raised.

This year’s diverse panel consisting of representatives from various industries, sports, media, and the academe recognized how the 2020 Mazda3’s A-pillar shape and side mirrors contribute to enhanced visibility. As the world’s first application of ultra-high strength steel (1,310 MPa) in the A-pillar, designers were able to make them thinner, improving visibility without sacrificing crash safety.

The committee also recognized the new wiper design which clears the front view widely and quickly. Further setting the Mazda3 apart, the new wiper design folds down beneath the hood line, while integrating the washer fluid nozzle into the wiper arm itself eliminates the momentary moments of poor visibility whenever the washer fluid is sprayed.

The 2020 Mazda3 is also the first compact car to offer a full suite of driver assistive technologies such as Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. When entering T-junctions, FCTA uses front-side radars to monitor diagonal blind spots and warns drivers of approaching objects. The system operates at speeds up to approximately 10 km/h. Meanwhile, when reversing, side-facing sensors on the rear bumper detect oncoming objects, and the system alerts the driver of the moving vehicle, preventing a possible collision.