Mazda CX-6e external speaker intended for safety accidentally creates a brand new problem in traffic

Electric cars are getting smarter, but one new feature in the new Mazda CX-6e has shown that giving drivers more technology isn’t always a good idea when it comes to traffic.

The Mazda CX-6e is an electric SUV with an external speaker designed to help it communicate with pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.

It can play helpful warnings and even let drivers speak to people outside the vehicle without opening a window.

However, tests have revealed that the system can also broadcast something else, potentially turning an everyday traffic jam into a bizarre situation.

Mazda’s safety feature is designed to help drivers communicate

EVs are often quieter than their gas-powered counterparts, which can make them harder for pedestrians and cyclists to hear approaching at low speeds.

That’s one reason manufacturers have introduced artificial warning sounds, but Mazda has taken the idea a step further with the CX-6e’s external announcement system.

The Chinese-built electric SUV features a speaker that allows drivers to play pre-programmed messages to people outside the vehicle.

For example, a driver could use it to remind a distracted pedestrian to look up from their phone or tell another motorist to go ahead at an intersection.

The idea is to make communication easier and potentially reduce confusion on busy roads.

After all, we’ve all experienced that awkward moment when two drivers try to wave each other through at the same time, leaving everyone else waiting behind them.

But while the system’s intended uses sound sensible, there’s a catch.

Drivers discovered they could broadcast some very colourful language

When Australian journalists tested the Mazda CX-6e, they reportedly discovered that the external speaker could do considerably more than deliver polite road-safety reminders.

Apparently, drivers can type their own messages into the system and have them read aloud through the car’s speaker.

The feature can also broadcast the driver’s voice directly, effectively turning the front of the SUV into a mobile public-address system.

And apparently, the system doesn’t do much to restrict what drivers can say.

That means a feature intended to help road users communicate could also be used to shout insults at someone who cuts in front of the car or takes too long to move at a traffic light.

Instead of quietly muttering under your breath when another driver does something frustrating, you could potentially have your complaint delivered to the entire street.

The Mazda speaker idea could need a software rethink

The problem highlights a familiar challenge for carmakers: technology can only do so much when its users decide to get creative.

An external speaker could be genuinely useful in situations where a quick verbal warning helps pedestrians or cyclists notice a vehicle.

For now, the discovery is a reminder that even a feature developed with good intentions can have unexpected consequences once it reaches real-world drivers.

Mazda wanted to give its electric SUV another way for drivers to communicate exactly what they think to the people around them; unfortunately, it may also have given people a way to communicate exactly what they think.