Skip to main content

Toyota Safety Sense will be standard across entire model line in 2018

More car manufacturers are including advanced active safety features across their lineups, and the world’s largest automaker is no exception. In a recent press release, Toyota stated that beginning in 2018, its Safety Sense technology will be standard on almost every Toyota trim level in the U.S. This feature is designed to mitigate and help prevent collisions.

The most advanced version of Safety Sense, TSS-P, won the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) Yankee Cup Technology Award last week. The NEMPA Yankee Cup is awarded each year to a vehicle, automotive feature, or system that “significantly enhances the motoring experience, whether by making driving safer, more cost-efficient, or simply more enjoyable.”

Related Videos

The award was presented at NEMPA’s sixth annual conference and banquet, which was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab in Cambridge. In addition to Toyota’s TSS-P technology, the RAV4 Hybrid and Toyota Tacoma won Winter Vehicle Awards in the Green Crossover and Midsize/Compact Pickup Truck categories.

TSS-P uses an in-vehicle camera and front-grille-mounted millimeter-wave radar to enhance the driving experience by detecting obstacles and automatically applying the brakes if an imminent collision is detected.

The safety suite includes four features. The Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection function prompts the driver via audio and visual alerts to take action and apply the brakes if the system detects the possibility of a frontal collision. The system itself will supplement the driver by applying the brakes on its own with Brake Assist, but it can also take initiative itself if need be. The in-vehicle camera looks out for pedestrians using a formula based on size, profile, and motion.

By analyzing lane markings, the system can detect when the vehicle is deviating from its lane. If this occurs, the Lane Departure Alert kicks in, giving the driver audio and visual cues to fix the problem. The Steering Assist function can help out by applying small, corrective steering inputs.

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control adjusts vehicle speed to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead. If that vehicle slows down, the system can decelerate to maintain distance. If the vehicle speeds up or there is no vehicle there at all, the system will accelerate until the preset speed is reached.

The Automatic High Beams feature detects the headlights of oncoming vehicles as well as the taillights of preceding vehicles and automatically switches between high and low beams.

Editors' Recommendations

BMW i4 vs. Tesla Model 3: Which EV sedan is better?
2022 BMW i4 M50

The BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3 are two of the hottest electric cars on the market today. Both vehicles offer a range of features designed to make driving easy and efficient, as well as attractive styling. But each has its advantages and disadvantages, and there is much that sets them apart in terms of performance, technology, convenience, and cost.

Deciding between the two? That's why we've put together this guide. Here are the differences and similarities between the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4, and why you might want one over the other.
Design

Read more
How much does an electric car battery cost?
electrify america evgo and chargepoint interoperability agreement for electric car charging station

Electric cars are often hailed as being cheaper to operate and repair than gas-powered cars. It makes sense — on the operation side, you only need to pay for electricity (not gasoline), and on the repair side, there’s no motor or transmission to deal with.

But electric cars have other costly repairs, and while in total they do generally cost less than repairs for gasoline cars, it’s worth knowing about the potential costs ahead of time. Perhaps the most obvious, and one of the most costly, has to do with an electric car’s battery. After all, while all cars have batteries, those in electric cars are far bigger and more advanced — and thus can cost quite a bit to replace.
How much does an electric car battery cost?

Read more
Tesla Cybertruck prototype spotted with minor changes
A Tesla Cybertruck prototype.

What appears to be a new Tesla Cybertruck prototype has been spotted testing on public roads.

As relayed by Electrek, Twitter user Greg posted a photo Thursday showing a Cybertruck with a different front-end design from what we've seen previously. The front bumper has a more distinct rectangular opening, possibly for cooling. This prototype also has triangular side mirrors, as opposed to the squared-off ones seen previously.

Read more