New Toyota tech stops driver from smashing up car

By CARSIFU | 1 July 2020


TOYOTA CITY: Toyota says it has developed a new "Acceleration Suppression System" help avoid serious accidents and reduce damage caused by accidental stepping on the accelerator pedal.

The Toyota "Plus Support" system launched today for new cars and added the function in the "Pedal Misapplication Acceleration Control System II" retrofit device for use with existing cars.

The system is being included in Prius and Prius PHEV models from today, and will gradually be rolled out to other models.

In 2012, Toyota introduced Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) for new vehicles and since 2018, had rolled out a retrofit "Pedal Misapplication Acceleration Control System" for existing vehicles.

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These existing systems help prevent accidents caused by accelerator pedal misapplication when sensors detect obstacles such as a wall or glass.

Plus Support starts automatically when the vehicle doors are unlocked using an optional Plus Support Smart Key for customers with concerns about driving. Even if obstacles are absent from the vehicle's course, this system detects accelerator pedal misapplication and retards acceleration.

When the vehicle's doors are unlocked using a conventional key, Plus Support is not activated, and driving can be performed as usual.

Toyota statistics showed ICS helped prevent roughly 70 percent of all potential accidents that could occur due to accelerator pedal misapplication. However, new technologies needed to be developed to reduce the remaining number of accidents, including accidents in situations where obstacles are absent.

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