Working Together for Safety

Why were 21 Toyota vehicles named "Top Safety Picks" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2013? Because we design them with the knowledge that safety is more than features - it's the lives of the people who drive our cars.

For us, the journey towards a safe road never ends. This belief, along with our collaborative research efforts, drives us to create advancements and innovations in safety that have helped (and continue to help) prevent crashes and protect people.

As you read through a Toyota Owner's Manual, or even as you view this site, you may hear about the Star Safety System? and wonder what it is. It's a suite of six safety systems designed to help when you are in harm's way, and it comes standard in every new Toyota. The system specifics typically consist of Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA), Smart Stop Technology® (SST), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC).

Whether you're parallel parking or getting out of a tight driveway, our backup camera helps guide your way. When you shift into reverse, the camera turns on and an image of what's visible to the camera behind you will appear on the touch-screen display. Consider it our vision of safety.

By reading data from the ABS wheel-speed sensors, TRAC can tell if a drive wheel is turning faster than the wheel on the opposite side, which can indicate a loss of traction. When TRAC detects slippage, the system can automatically reduce engine power until the wheel that is slipping slows and regains traction. If reducing engine power isn't enough, the braking system will slow that wheel by pulsing the brake of that wheel.

Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) helps prevent wheel-slip and loss of traction by reducing engine power and applying brake force to wheels that need it. The system reads data from a steering wheel sensor and the ABS wheel-speed sensors to determine if the vehicle is following the driver's steering inputs. If the vehicle is deviating from the direction in which the driver is steering, VSC is designed to reduce engine power and pulse the left- or right-side brakes to help correct the situation.

When a wheel loses traction, a vehicle is hard to control-and that's why ABS was invented. ABS uses magnetic wheel-speed sensors and a computer to monitor all four wheels while a vehicle is in motion. When the brakes are applied, and a wheel (or wheels) begins to decelerate faster than the others, the system can recognize that it's losing traction or locked up. In response, the system rapidly pulses the brake at that wheel until it begins to roll at the same speed as the others. At the same time, it maintains brake pressure on the wheels with better grip to help prevent skidding.

Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) is a feature of the Anti-lock Brake System, which helps make up for shifting weight under hard braking. It reduces brake pressure on wheels carrying the least amount of weight, helping your vehicle stay in control.

Brake Assist (BA) is designed to detect sudden, or "panic," braking, and assist the driver in stopping the vehicle, adding additional brake pressure if Brake Assist senses that the driver is braking too lightly.

Smart Stop Technology (SST) is designed to automatically reduce engine power when both the brake and accelerator pedals are pressed at the same time under certain conditions.

No one wants to get into a collision. But if they do happen, we want to help reduce damage and injury. Which is why we developed our Pre-Collision System that uses radar technology to not only warn you when there is a high probability that a frontal collision will occur, but will even apply the brakes and automatically retract your seatbelt if the system determines an impact is imminent.

With Lane Departure Alert, if you deviate from your lane, your Toyota vehicle lets you know. When driving over 32 mph or more on a road that has visible lane markers, the system uses a specialized camera to recognize visible lane markers and judges when you've drifted away from them. Once you do, your vehicle emits an audible beeping sound and an indicator light flashes on the instrument panel.

Even with properly adjusted mirrors, you may have difficulty seeing to the side and rear of you in the next lane. That's why the Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)9 are here to help. With radar to scan these blind spots, a small warning signal on the correct side mirror lets you know when another vehicle has come into them.