TECH: Toyota to unveil safety advances
Toyota will release two cutting-edge integrated safety systems by the mid-2010s, it has been announced.
The Pre-Collision System with Steer Assist and Automated Highway Driving Assist are both being developed as Toyota look to cut pedestrian collisions and deliver safer driving.
Pre-Collision System with Steer Assist works in conjunction with automatic braking to help the driver avoid an impact.
The Pre-Collision System uses radar detection to spot pedestrians and other hazards and initiate alerts and automatic braking to cut the risk of an accident.
Adding automatic steering, Toyota claim, will help prevent collisions in cases where automatic braking alone is insufficient.
If the on-board sensor determines there is a collision risk, it triggers a warning light on the dashboard, immediately in front of the driver.
Then, if the likelihood of an impact increases, it sounds an alarm to warn the driver to take avoiding action and initiates pre-collision braking force and automatic braking.
If the system detects a collision cannot be avoided by braking alone, and there is sufficient room for avoidance, it activates steer assist to direct the vehicle away from the pedestrian.
Toyota introduced the system with increased pre-collision braking force and automatic braking in the Lexus LS 600h last year.
However, the manufacturer aim to make the technology more affordable and more widely available in their model ranges by 2015.
The Automated Highway Driving Assist keeps the car on an optimum driving line and a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
It links Co-operative-adaptive Cruise Control, which communicates wirelessly with vehicles ahead to maintain a safe distance, and Lane Trace Control, which helps steer the vehicle on an optimal driving line within a traffic lane.
