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Toyota Safety Sense: Standard on Almost Every 2017 Toyota

With the introduction of Toyota Safety Sense, Toyota is taking safety to a whole new level by not only introducing new and advanced safety features which will be standard equipment on most new 2017 and 2018 Toyota models, but also by taking steps to ensure that the public knows how Toyota Safety Sense works through an education campaign aimed at helping drivers stay safe out on the road.
“Advanced safety systems are typically included only on luxury vehicles – but we feel they’re so important that everybody deserves to benefit from them. That’s why we’re democratizing advanced safety technologies – and will be including them on almost every model we produce,” said Cyril Dimitris, Vice President, Toyota Canada Inc. “At the same time, we’re introducing a comprehensive awareness and education campaign to help Canadian drivers understand these systems and experience them first-hand.”

Two Toyota Safety Sense Packages

There are two Toyota Safety Sense Packages offered by the Japanese automaker: Toyota Safety Sense C and Toyota Safety Sense P. Known also as TSS-C and TSS-P, these two packages will be offered on 2017 and 2018 Toyota models, and the automaker believes that about 90 % of all Toyota models sold next year will feature one of the Toyota Safety Sense packages.
The Toyota Safety Sense C package offers three active safety technologies – Pre-Collision System, Lade Departure Alert, and Automatic High Beams – and will be offered on the Toyota Yaris Hatchback, the Toyota Prius C and the Toyota Corolla iM.

The Toyota Safety Sense P package features four active safety technologies including Pre-Collision System with pedestrian detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, and Automatic High Beams. These systems use a collection of radars and cameras to scan the road ahead and detect potential dangers, such as a vehicle suddenly braking. The technologies then warn the driver, and if not action is taken they can intervene in order to avoid a collision.

Toyota Safety Sense P will be offered on the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius Prime, Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid, Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid as standard safety equipment.

 

More details on Toyota’s Safety Sense systems

1. Pre-Collision System (PCS) (TSS-C)
This version of the Pre-Collision System uses a camera and laser beam to detect the vehicle ahead. When the system determines there is a possibility of collision, it prompts the driver to take evasive action and brake by using an audio and visual alert. These alerts operate when the vehicle’s speed is between approximately 10 to 140 km/hour. If the driver notices the hazard and brakes, the system may provide additional braking force using Brake Assist. If the driver does not brake in a set time, and the system determines that the possibility of a frontal collision with another vehicle is extremely high, the system may automatically apply the brakes, reducing speed by approximately 30 km/hour in order to help the driver reduce the impact and in certain cases avoid the collision.

2. Lane Departure Alert (TSS-C and TSS-P)
Lane Departure Alert uses a camera to detect visible white and yellow lane markings in front of the vehicle and the vehicle’s position on the road. If the system determines that the vehicle is starting to unintentionally deviate from its lane, the system alerts the driver with an audio and visual alert. When the alerts occur, the driver must check the surrounding road situation and carefully operate the steering wheel to move the vehicle back to the center part of their lane.
3. Automatic High Beams (TSS-C and TSS-P)
Automatic High Beams is a safety system designed to help drivers see more of what’s ahead at nighttime without dazzling other drivers. When enabled, Automatic High Beams uses an in-vehicle camera to help detect the headlights of oncoming vehicles and tail lights of preceding vehicles, then automatically switches between high and low beams as appropriate to provide the most light possible and enhance forward visibility.
4. Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Pedestrian Detection (TSS-P)
This version of the Pre-Collision System uses millimetre-wave radar and a camera to help detect the vehicle ahead of the vehicle. When the system determines there is a possibility of collision it prompts the driver to take evasive action and brake, by using an audio and visual alert. These alerts operate when the vehicle’s speed is between approximately 10 km/hour and the vehicle’s top speed. If the driver notices the hazard and brakes, the system may provide additional braking force using Brake Assist. If the driver does not brake in a set time and the system determines that the possibility of a frontal collision with another vehicle is extremely high, the system may automatically apply the brakes, reducing speed in order to help the driver reduce the impact and in certain cases avoid the collision. For potential collisions with vehicles, the enhanced Pre-Collision System included with the TSS-P package operates at relative speeds of between 10 km/hour and the vehicle’s top speed, reducing speed by approximately 40 km/hour.
In certain conditions, the Pre-Collision System with the TSS-P package may also help to detect pedestrians. The in-vehicle camera detects a potential pedestrian based on size, profile, and motion of the detected pedestrian. If the Pre-Collision System determines that the possibility of a frontal collision with a pedestrian is high under certain conditions, it prompts the driver to take evasive action and brake by using an audio and visual alert, followed by Brake Assist. These alerts operate when the vehicle’s speed is between approximately 10 km/hour and 80 km/hour. If the driver does not brake in a set time and the system determines that the risk of collision with a pedestrian is extremely high, the system may automatically apply the brakes, reducing speed by up to 30 km/hour in order to help the driver reduce the impact and in certain cases avoid the collision.

5. Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (TSS-P)
On highways, drivers of TSS-P equipped vehicles may use Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. This functions similar to conventional “constant speed” cruise control in that its helps vehicles travel at a speed set by the driver, but this system adds a vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode which assists the driver by adjusting vehicle speed (within a set range) to help maintain a pre-set distance behind a preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle is traveling at a lower speed. By using a forward-facing camera and millimetre-wave radar to monitor a preceding vehicle merging into or out of the lane, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control helps maintain smooth acceleration and deceleration while driving.

6. Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist function (TSS-P)
In addition to the alert function in vehicles equipped with TSS-C, those vehicles fitted with TSS-P and with Electronic Power Steering also feature a Steering Assist function. When equipped and enabled, if the system determines that the vehicle is on a path to unintentionally depart from its visibly marked lane, the system will provide small corrective steering inputs to the steering wheel for a short period of time to help the driver keep the vehicle in its lane.
To learn more about Toyota’s Safety Sense systems, contact us today at Newmarket Toyota.