"We do not want people to have to pay extra for something that is proven to save lives and reduce crashes. So that's standard on every vehicle that Mazda sells." - Jennifer Morrison, Director, Vehicle Safety Strategy at Mazda
Most of us don’t think about vehicle safety until something goes wrong. That’s a problem. Because the real work of safety happens long before impact. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Jennifer Morrison, Director of Vehicle Safety Strategies at Mazda North America, to talk about what it really takes to prevent crashes—not just investigate them. With two decades of experience at the NTSB and NHTSA, Jennifer brings a powerful perspective on why affordability should never mean compromising protection.


We unpack how data is proving that technologies like automatic emergency braking prevent up to 60% of rear-end crashes, why making blind spot monitoring standard is a leadership decision, not a luxury one, and how regulators, manufacturers, and human drivers intersect at highway speeds. If you care about fleet safety, workplace risk, or the people riding in your car, this conversation is for you.

• How to shift from reactive crash investigation to proactive safety strategy
• Why making safety standard, not optional, is both a moral and business imperative
• The connected vehicle data advantage that most companies aren't leveraging
• How to exceed compliance without becoming compliance-obsessed
• Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) vs. autonomous vehicles
• The overlooked intersection of occupational and vehicle safety
  
  

Jennifer Morrison is the Director of Vehicle Safety Strategies at Mazda North America Operations, bringing over two decades of expertise in crash investigation, regulatory compliance, and automotive safety innovation. With a background spanning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and 15 years as a highway crash investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Jennifer has witnessed firsthand the real-world impact of safety failures and the life-saving potential of prevention. At Mazda, she leads the company's vision for a no-fatalities society by 2040, spearheading the deployment of crash avoidance technologies, occupant protection systems, and evidence-based safety strategies that exceed federal minimums.


Episode Resources:

• Jennifer Morrison on LinkedIn
• Mazda North America Website
• Michael Zalle on LinkedIn
• Yellow Bird Website
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Apple Podcasts 
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Spotify
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on YouTube
  
  

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