Toyota is among the top brands when it comes to ensuring the safety of its drivers. Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), a package including a range of driver-assistance features, was first launched in 2015. Since then, it has gone through a series of important upgrades to give each new Toyota cutting-edge safety tech. Our experts at Longo Toyota have taken a closer look at the safety features you can expect to find on most Toyota models and the optional add-ons you can choose for added protection on the roads around Prosper, Texas.
Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking
Forward collision warning and forward automatic emergency braking are two key features of every Toyota, whether it’s the small Corolla or a family-sized SUV. The collision warning alerts you to potential threats up ahead, including pedestrians and cyclists, giving you time to avoid or reduce the impact of the collision. Should you fail to respond in time, the automatic emergency braking system can kick in to bring your vehicle to a swift stop.
Lane Departure Warning
The lane departure warning tracks where you are on the highway and sets off an alarm if you’re about to leave your lane. This feature is a standard option in many Toyotas with lane-keep assist, which can steer your vehicle back into the center of a lane. This feature won’t take over if you’re indicating in order to exit a lane. The main aim of these features is to stop accidents arising from drivers inadvertently sliding into another lane and colliding with traffic.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control is a modern safety feature designed to reduce accidents on the highway caused by drivers not leaving enough distance from the vehicle ahead of them. It can automatically adjust your speed to ensure that you maintain a safe distance. In the higher trims of some Toyotas, you may also find stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, which can operate similarly in heavy traffic. However, it’s important to remember that this feature is not an automated driver, and you still need to be alert behind the wheel.
Automatic High-Beam Headlights
This feature adjusts your headlight levels when oncoming traffic approaches. As a result, you can be sure that you won’t blind oncoming drivers when they’re approaching you. In addition, the high beams will come on when you need them most, when it’s dark and road visibility is poor. Some higher trims in the Toyota vehicle lineup add adaptive headlights as an extra feature. These headlights can move side to side depending on your position on the road to improve visibility and ensure maximum performance.
Blind-Spot Monitoring
Your blind spot is one of the most dangerous areas because vehicles can approach you without you seeing them. The blind-spot monitor handles this problem by alerting you to approaching motorists so you can take evasive action.
The rear cross-traffic alert is a similar feature. It alerts you to traffic traveling across the rear of your vehicle when you’re reversing out of a parking spot or any other position. Both blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are generally optional upgrades for Toyota vehicles, but you may find them as standard features in some models.
Rear Seat Alert
Unfortunately, it’s not rare for children or pets to be left in the back seats of cars. Automakers have developed the rear seat reminder to counter this problem. It alerts you every time you get out of the vehicle to check behind you to ensure you’ve left nobody behind. It’s especially handy in Toyota’s larger vehicles with three rows of seating, such as the Highlander or Sequoia SUVs.
Parking Sensors and Surround-View Parking Camera
If you buy an SUV or truck, parking sensors are a big help. They alert you to approaching obstacles, including walls or other vehicles, when you’re parking in a spot. Rear parking sensors are most common, but you can also get forward parking sensors for extra safety. One popular optional upgrade for large trucks and SUVs is the surround-view parking camera. It shows an aerial view of your vehicle on your display so you can monitor potential threats from all sides as you maneuver safely into your parking position.
Road Sign Recognition
Have you ever unintentionally missed a speed limit sign or driven past your exit? The road sign recognition feature can read signs along the highway and project them onto your instrument cluster. This feature is an optional upgrade in most Toyota vehicles, but you may get it standard with a higher trim.
Rain-Sensing Windshield Wipers
This is another feature that’s typically available as an optional upgrade. When it starts to rain, the wipers will automatically come on to help you maintain good visibility. It takes the responsibility away from the driver to turn on the windshield wipers and helps prevent risks due to poor visibility.
Driver Attention Monitor
Here’s another feature that’s typically only available with higher trims in Toyota’s lineup. The attention monitor keeps track of your habits and response times to determine when it’s time for you to take a break. This piece of tech is well worth having if you regularly go on long highway drives.
Learn More About Toyota Safety Features at Longo Toyota of Prosper
Whether you’re in the market for one of our new Toyota vehicles or a certified pre-owned model, we can introduce you to the vehicle’s safety features and talk you through the optional upgrades. During a test drive in Prosper, one of our Toyota experts can explain how specific safety features work and point out anything you should be aware of. Contact us today with any questions about driver safety or the TSS suite of driver-assistance features. We’d be delighted to take your call or respond to an online message.
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