Earlier this year Toyota introduced their Safety Sense pack,
a new set of safety technologies designed to help prevent accidents or lessen
their consequences. But how much do you know about these new features and the
benefits they can bring you?
Firstly Toyota expect Safety Sense to be available on up to
70% of new Toyota cars in Europe by the end of the year. Toyota believes it is
important to develop an approach to safety that involves people, vehicles and
the traffic environment. The new technology has been developed by analysing and
learning from previous road traffic accidents and applying the knowledge gained
to the new system.
Seigo Kazumaki, Toyota’s Chief Safety Technology Officer
explains, “Of all the things we do at Toyota, safety is the number one
priority. We see traffic safety as being about a blend of vehicles, people and
the traffic environment. Each is critical, and it’s important to improve the
safety of each element, but we are most effective when we manage to integrate
all three. As vehicles become better able to recognise, judge and react to a
situation, so must their drivers become smarter, ever-alert and in control.”
Here are some of the key features of Toyota Safety Sense:
Pre-Collision System
The Pre-Collision System can detect objects on the road
ahead and can reduce the risk of hitting the car in front. If a possible
collision is detected an audible and visual warning will prompt the driver to
brake. The braking system will provide extra stopping force when the driver
presses the pedal. If the driver cannot react in time, the system automatically
applies the brakes, to prevent or lessen the impact of a collision.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive Cruise Control will help the driver to keep a safe
distance from the car in front. It will detect the car in front, measure its
speed and then adjusts the speed of the Toyota car, helping to maintain a safe
distance.
Lane Departure Alert
This safety system monitors lane markings on the road and
helps prevent accidents and head-on collisions caused by a vehicle leaving its
lane. If the car deviates from its lane without indicators being used the
driver will get a visual and audible warning.
Automatic High Beam
This feature ensures excellent visibility when driving at
night. It detects the headlights of oncoming vehicles and taillights of
vehicles in front and automatically switches between high and low beam to avoid
dazzling other drivers.
Road Sign Assist
This will keep the driver informed even if they have driven
past a road sign without noticing. It recognises signage such as speed limits,
overtaking and road conditions and signs used on the motorways and will display
the information on a colour screen in your dashboard.