Find out why Toyota Safety Sense is advanced safety – for everyone

Toyota Canada launches awareness & education campaign to explain its newest package of advanced safety technologies – which are to be standard equipment on almost every 2017 Toyota offered in Canada

(TORONTO, ON – October 19th, 2016) Everyone benefits when vehicles are equipped with advanced automatic safety technology – but these technologies are most effective when drivers understand how they work. That’s why Toyota – the first automaker committed to making such systems standard equipment on almost every model and trim level sold in Canada – has launched a comprehensive awareness and education campaign to help drivers learn about, and understand, Toyota Safety Sense. This bundle of advanced safety systems will be included as standard on the majority of Toyota’s Canadian models, starting with the 2017 model year.

“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.”

Toyota Safety Sense includes several active safety technologies designed to enhance driver capabilities and control in a variety of situations. Specifically, these technologies help mitigate collisions, help drivers stay in their lanes, and help improve nighttime safety.

Two Toyota Safety Sense packages – TSS-C and TSS-P

Toyota deploys TSS in two packages, depending on vehicle: Toyota Safety Sense C and Toyota Safety Sense P. These two packages will be offered on 2017 and 2018 models representing approximately 90 percent of expected sales in the coming year.

The Toyota Safety Sense C package features three active safety technologies – Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, and Automatic High Beams. TSS-C combines a camera and laser beam for enhanced performance and reliability. The package can help prevent or mitigate collisions in a wide range of vehicle speeds. Toyota Safety Sense C is included as standard safety equipment on the following models, starting with the 2017 model year: Toyota Yaris Hatchback, Toyota Prius c and Toyota Corolla iM.

The Toyota Safety Sense P package features four active safety technologies: Pre-Collision System with pedestrian detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, and Automatic High Beams. TSS-P combines a camera and millimetre-wave radar for enhanced performance and reliability. Compared to TSS-C, the TSS-P package enhances the Pre-Collision System by enhancing speed ranges/speed reduction capability for potential collisions with a preceding vehicle and adding a Pedestrian Detection function, enhances Lane Departure Alert by adding a Steering Assist function on certain models, and adds Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. Toyota Safety Sense P is included as standard safety equipment on the following models, starting with the 2017 model year: Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius Prime, Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid, Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid.

(The technologies that comprise each package are detailed below.)

Awareness and Education initiatives

New, advanced safety technologies such as Toyota Safety Sense can save lives, mitigate injuries, and reduce damage – but successfully introducing such technologies also means giving Canadian drivers the opportunity to educate themselves about how they work. Toyota is committed to having an honest conversation with Canadians about the power and the limits of current and emerging safety technologies – which is why Toyota Canada has launched a comprehensive awareness and education campaign around Toyota Safety Sense. Initiatives include:

Training Toyota Dealer staff: Toyota Canada is conducting a series of training sessions for Dealer staff across the country. These started in September and by year-end, more than 2,000 Dealer staff will have been trained.

Dedicated events for automotive journalists and other media: These events include test drivers in vehicles equipped with Toyota Safety Sense P, to demonstrate the Pre-Collision System with vehicle and pedestrian detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist.

Education tools for Toyota owners: Currently in development, these tools will help Toyota customers learn about the safety systems in their new vehicle – before they take delivery from their Toyota Dealer.

TSS Marketing strategy: This will help raise awareness of Toyota Safety Sense and help Canadians understand the role that new technologies play in automobile safety. The strategy will use traditional and online media channels.

Interaction opportunities: Toyota Safety Sense is being incorporated into several events that allow Canadians to experience Toyota, its vehicles and its technologies first-hand. These include the “Towards Tomorrow” brand galleries that Toyota sets up in shopping malls in major markets, the Toyota Canada auto show booth, and the Toyota Canada kartSTART program.

The technologies that comprise Toyota Safety Sense

Toyota Safety Sense packages bundle together several advanced safety technologies. Details of each technology are provided below.

I. 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.

II. 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.

III. 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.

IV. 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.

V. 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.

VI. 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.

About Toyota Canada Inc.

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles.  Toyota has sold over 5 million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 286 Toyota and Lexus dealerships.  Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability in the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive.  TCI’s head office is located in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver.  Toyota operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than seven million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota Corolla, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid.-30-

 

For more details, including a full list of media contacts, digital images and product details please visit media.toyota.ca.

To unsubscribe or update your profile, please send an email to media@toyota.ca.

Toyota Canada Inc. | 1 Toyota Place | Toronto, ON | M1H 1H9 | Canada


Every effort has been made to ensure the product specifications, equipment, and content on this site are accurate based on information available at time of publishing. In some cases, certain changes in standard equipment or options may occur, which may not be reflected online. Toyota Canada reserves the rights to make these changes without notice or obligation.