Purchasing a new vehicle is an emotional decision for anyone. There’s styling, colour, infotainment features and the goal of ensuring your new ride actually fits your lifestyle. But every smart buyer is always thinking about safety, which now goes well beyond seatbelt restraints and airbags. We’re talking about advanced safety features such as Lane Departure Warning, Pre-collision Braking and Dynamic Cruise Control.
These are features some might only expect to find in luxury brands. And it’s an unfortunate fact that many automakers will force customers into a higher trim level of a vehicle – at a higher price – to get those advanced safety options. This is where Toyota has changed the playing field with Toyota Safety Sense. It’s a suite of safety equipment now standard across the entire 2017 Toyota Corolla line up. That’s from the base model on up! But how do they work?
Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection
The Pre-Collision System uses a camera and laser beam to detect vehicles and pedestrians ahead. When there’s a possibility of collision, it prompts the driver to take evasive action and brake by using an audio and visual alert. If the driver does not brake in time, the system may automatically apply the brakes, reducing speed by approximately 30 km/hour in order to reduce the chance of an impact, and in certain cases avoid the collision.
Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist
Lane Departure Alert uses a camera to detect the white and yellow lane markings in front of the vehicle and its position on the road. If the system finds the vehicle is starting to unintentionally deviate from its lane, it warns the driver with an audio and visual alert. When the alerts occur, 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.
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
Besides allowing the driver to keep the vehicle at a constant speed, this system will also adjust the speed to maintain a pre-set distance behind the car in front of you. It uses a camera and radar to monitor cars merging into or out of the lane ahead. Besides providing an extra set of eyes in front of you, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control helps maintain smooth acceleration and deceleration while driving.
Toyota is also offering a suite of Safety Sense technology as standard on the 2017 Toyota Yaris Hatchback, Prius c ,and Corolla iM. If you have any questions about Toyota Safety Sense, please stop by our showroom. Our friendly sales staff can fill you in – and offer you a great cup of coffee.
Happy Motoring!
– Thomas D’Monte with files from Toyota Canada Inc.
Stouffville Toyota is well known for treating the needs of each individual customer with paramount concern. We know that you have high expectations, and as a car dealer we enjoy the challenge of meeting and exceeding those standards each and every time. Allow us to demonstrate our commitment to excellence! Our experienced sales staff is eager to share its knowledge and enthusiasm with you. We encourage you to browse our online inventory, schedule a test drive and investigate financing options. You can also request more information about a vehicle using our online form or by calling 905-642-6688.