During Tokyo 2020, Toyota observed that some cycling teams used different national flag accessories to identify their team cars during the races. To improve this at Paris 2024, Toyota proposed equipping all cycling team cars with stickers of national flags. These stickers, along with additional markings on the front and back of each vehicle, not only enhance visibility but also promote a sense of unity and identity among the teams.

At the heart of this initiative lies Toyota’s commitment to continuous improvement and athlete support. TMUK played a pivotal role in this journey, providing 80 Cycling Corolla TS hybrid vehicles and overseeing the meticulous sticker application process. This collaboration underscores Toyota’s commitment to quality and safety, ensuring that every vehicle equipped with enhanced safety features meets the highest standards and is easily recognized by the cyclists during the races.

Toyota remains dedicated to supporting athletes, prioritising their safety and well-being. As the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 Games unfolds, athletes will experience first-hand the benefits of Toyota’s innovative safety measures, reaffirming Toyota’s commitment to their support.

Toyota made THUMS available free of charge on a dedicated public website at the start of this year, and already 400 users globally have downloaded the application. Use cases of THUMS also include ergonomics studies in non-automotive areas. For example, the THUMS model is used in bed design aimed at bedsore prevention, and also in the design of rackets, American football helmets and shoes for injury prevention.

THUMS has originally been developed as a digital car crash test dummy, which includes all the bones, organs, tissues and tendons found in the human body. The virtual dummy can be a man, woman or child of different ages, and can even take different postures – sitting or walking. This makes THUMS one of the most advanced systems available to simulate and analyse injuries caused by external forces in endless possible scenarios.

Sharing its know-how freely with third-parties is not new to Toyota: in 2019, the company granted royalty-free licenses on almost 24,000 patents it holds for vehicle electrification-related technologies to help accelerate development of sustainable mobility.

• To get free access to THUMS, please visit https://www.toyota.co.jp/thums/

• To read more about THUMS, please visit Toyota Offers Free Access to THUMS Virtual Human Body Model Software | Corporate | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website

Safety First

The Lexus LS is a regular series production vehicle that will be driving on regular, open roads. The only difference is the roof mounted pack of sensors including LIDAR, radars, cameras and high precision positioning system. In the car, a Safety Driver, who can intervene and overrule the AD vehicle control system at any time, will be accompanied by an Operator supervising the entire system. Toyota is bringing this car to the open roads, after months of thorough preparation of the vehicle: validating the AD system, training the drivers, analysing the route and engaging with authorities to acquire the necessary approvals.

This research ties in with Toyota’s global vision to create safe and Ever-Better Mobility for All. Toyota sees the relationship between a driver and the car as teammates working together, a mobility approach which it has dubbed ‘Mobility Teammate Concept’. With the aim to realise more safe and accessible mobility, Toyota is working on two different automated driving models in parallel: Guardian and Chauffeur¹. Whilst developing these cutting-edge technologies, Toyota is also popularizing safety features in an affordable way, across the range. Toyota equips all its newly sold cars with advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), called Toyota Safety Sense and Lexus Safety System+².

European L3Pilot

The automated vehicle will also be used for collecting data as part of Toyota’s involvement in the European “L3Pilot project,” along with 34 other partners, including major car manufacturers, automotive suppliers, research institutes and authorities. The L3Pilot is a four-year European project launched in 2017 and partially funded by the European Commission³. The project paves the way for large-scale AD field tests of around 1,000 drivers in 100 cars across 10 countries in Europe. Within this framework, TME will concentrate on researching customer behaviours and the safe operation of systems in complex and diverse urban environments.

¹ Guardian mode uses technology to constantly monitor the human’s driving task, intervening only when necessary. In Chauffeur mode, the technology takes all responsibility for driving.

² The Lexus LS is equipped with Lexus Safety Sense+A

³ This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme; grant agreement 723051, Funded under H2020-EU.3.4.

Kuzumaki: “Toyota wants safe and ever-better mobility for all. We do not want people to worry about the possibility of being involved in an accident. When somebody gets in a car, you would just say “Have fun”, instead of “Be careful.” With Automated Driving we set ourselves the goal to reduce the more than 1.3 million lives currently lost around the world in traffic accidents each year.”

Pratt: “In addition, everyone, and we mean really everyone – including the elderly, and people with physical disabilities – unable to drive today would be able to move safely anywhere they want to go.”

Q. How do you plan to make this happen?

Kuzumaki: “The future mobility we envision is built on the concept that the car will help you remain safe. The car is watching over you, like a teammate would do. That is why we have dubbed our mobility approach ‘Mobility Teammate Concept’.”

Pratt: “Over time, as a car’s artificial intelligence (AI) improves, the car will increasingly learn drivers’ and passengers’ habits and preferences. AI will sometimes follow these preferences, at other times it will warn the driver. Car and driver will evolve together and become inseparable.”

Q. How does that work in practice?

Pratt: “Toyota distinguishes two types of vehicle autonomy: ‘Chauffeur’ and ‘Guardian’. The Chauffeur concept is Automated Driving when the driver doesn’t want to, or cannot drive. In Guardian mode, a human is driving with the support of the system’s advanced driving assistance. What is important to emphasize in our approach is that we leave the choice to the driver. Even when the car will be fully automated, drivers will still be able to enjoy the fun and freedom of driving, as they wish.”

Kuzumaki: “These advanced safety technologies are only one side of the equation. We take a 2 axes approach: as well as developing cutting-edge technologies, we are working to popularize safety features in a more affordable way, across our range. Only when safety technologies are fitted on the full line-up, including entry-level models, can we make a real difference. We are proud that our accident avoidance features today are fitted on 92 percent of our European sales, helping us strive towards zero traffic accidents.”

Q. That sounds promising, but when can we expect to see all of this on the road?

Kuzumaki: “In 2020, we will introduce Highway Teammate. Highway Teammate is Automated Driving on highways: merging onto or exiting highways, overtaking other vehicles and changing lanes. That is, if that is what the driver wants. In line with our philosophy, the system will always collaborate with the driver.”

Q. No Automated Driving on ordinary roads then?

Pratt: “In the early 2020s, we plan to introduce Urban Teammate, which is Automated Driving on ordinary roads. With more advanced AI, Urban Teammate will enable further driving automation.”

Q. What is your stance on collaboration versus competition in this field?

Pratt: “Concerning collaboration, we remain very open. Competition and collaboration need to be carefully managed as we are in an ever-changing environment.”

Kuzumaki: “Indeed, we should make it clear in what fields companies should compete and collaborate. For example high accuracy mapping is an area where information could be shared. Collaboration is important, but so is competition to accelerate innovation.”

Q. How does TRI fit in Toyota’s global R&D structure?

Pratt: “At Toyota, Kaizen or Continuous Improvement, is at the heart of everything we do. It remains the foundation and one of our biggest strengths. However, in these unprecedented times, we need additional approaches. In this particular domain, it’s simply not enough to only take small steps. You have to take leaps, which often results in failure. If you are lucky, after you have the courage to keep on failing again and again, you suddenly succeed. The mission of TRI is to explore spaces and take these leaps for Toyota. In addition to the work we’re doing ourselves we also recently created Toyota AI Ventures, a corporate venture capital fund designed to cultivate and invest in the entrepreneurial spirit of start-ups in the field of Data, AI/AD, Machine Learning, Robotics, …”

Q. How do you aim for the highest level of safety? How safe is safe enough?

Pratt: “Writing the software is relatively easy to do. The hardest part is predicting human behaviour. Will the car turn left or right? Will the child follow the ball? We are building a statistical model based on the data we gather from real human behaviour. From these statistics we create a simulated environment and test our autonomy software in reaction to that. But this is not enough. We simulate many more miles with much worse traffic than actually happens in the real world. Finally, we complement these simulations with physical testing, as the road remains the best test environment. By combining simulation and real world driving, we aim to reach the trillion mile challenge Toyota set itself.”

Kuzumaki: “It is crucial that the vehicle is completely safe on its own. This means without the need for interaction with infrastructure or other vehicles. This ensures the vehicle can safely navigate despite a lack of service caused by a natural disaster, for instance. As these vehicles will have to deal with extreme weather and traffic situations, the system requires a mix of many different sensors that are complementary to one another. Lidar for example struggles with snow.”

Q. To conclude, what are the remaining challenges for the future of mobility?

Kuzumaki: “First, legislation. We need unified regulations if we want to introduce Automated Driving technology safely in various regions. Second, Automated Driving requires transmission of a huge amount of data, and it is important to protect data security and personal data.”

Pratt: “Reaching level 5 autonomy is definitely one of the remaining challenges. AI does not have the sufficient level of human reasoning at the moment. I challenge everyone who says they know when they’ll achieve level 5. Social acceptance is another challenge. Not everyone is ready to embrace AD/AI. However, we start to see a change in mindset. Remember elevators from the past? They used to be ‘manned’ but over time automatic elevators became widely accepted. We must ensure that our products are safe and that automated vehicles perform significantly better than a human driver if we want a mother to trust her children’s life with an automated car.”

For more info on Toyota's Vision for Automated Driving: http://automatedtoyota.com

Reference: Project duration

Application download period: Starting September 20, 2016

Application usage period: From September 20, 2016 to October 6, 2016

Coffee coupon redemption period: From September 20, 2016 to October 31, 2016 

The project offered coupons that could be redeemed for free coffee to drivers who had covered a set distance without using their smartphones while they were behind the wheel. The drivers who used this application during the running period covered a cumulative distance of about 2.6 million kilometers?the equivalent of about 65 trips around the earth.

This application which involves a car manufacturer, a coffee store chain, and a telecom provider, offered a novel experience. Toyota, Komeda, and KDDI believe that the application helped to encourage safer driving in Aichi Prefecture, and also helped underscore awareness of the need to prevent smartphone-related traffic accidents. The usefulness of this project to help mitigate a social issue will be gauged from the perspective to achieving a safer and more secure society.

Project Manager of the BR J-ReBORN Department at Toyota, Nishiuchi Ritsuko was pleased to report that, "We are happy that the app was able to help increase awareness of the need for safer driving not just for actual application users, but also through social media. We would like to continue to pursue a range of initiatives with an objective of eliminating fatalities and injuries resulting from traffic accidents."

Managing Director Masashi Komanba of Komeda said, "We are very happy that providing tasty coffee to people was a way of helping to reduce the number of traffic accidents in our home prefecture, Aichi."

The General Manager of the CSR and Environment Management Department at KDDI, Torimitsu Kentaro, said, "Cars, coffee, and smartphones are an unusual combination. It was a novel and fun attempt to prevent smartphone-related traffic accidents, one where we were able to educate a large number of people. We are striving to apply new ideas to help solve social issues."

Satoru Iida, who heads the traffic safety office at the Traffic Department of the Aichi Prefectural Police Headquarters, stated, "Although we don't yet know about the effectiveness of this project, in the 17-day period that distances could be covered with this application, we made fewer arrests involving motorists using smartphones while driving, as compared to the 17-day period before it had started. It was a unique initiative which harnessed the use of a smartphone app. We believe that this project has helped to increase awareness about traffic safety among many drivers."

¹The ratio of first coupons to subsequent coupons was 72:28

Please refer to the following link for more information on the project http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/13686673/

This high figure is indicative of the importance to reduce the large number of traffic accidents in the prefecture. In response, ten Nagoya-based media companies² have come together to work towards the goal of making the prefecture's roads safer under the banner of the "AICHI: No Longer the Worst" project, which began on August 2. Toyota and KDDI are also sponsors of this project.

Toyota, Komeda, and KDDI will begin their own joint project in tandem with the Japanese government's 2016 Autumn Traffic Safety Campaign (September 21-30). The companies will promote traffic safety in Aichi Prefecture through an educational initiative where participation is accessible for all, and can lead to a reduction in traffic accidents.

The Driving Barista application can only be used within Aichi Prefecture. By utilizing the gyro sensor to sense the tilt of the smartphone body, and the GPS to determine the distance driven, this application measures the distance the driver has driven while leaving the smartphone facedown. When the cumulative distance reaches 100 km³, the driver can receive a coupon for a cup of blended or iced coffee at a Komeda Coffee Shop⁴.

According to one survey, approximately 60% of respondents said they use their smartphones while driving, with approximately half⁵ of these respondents keeping only one hand on the steering wheel. Therefore, the companies hope that the new application will raise drivers' awareness about not using smartphones while driving.

With regards to the initiative, Managing Officer Shuichi Murakami of Toyota said, "In line with contributing to the ultimate goal of achieving zero traffic fatalities and zero traffic accidents, Toyota has implemented automobile safety measures as one of its top priority management concerns. By carrying out a new traffic safety education initiative together with Komeda and KDDI, we hope to further reduce traffic accidents."

Managing Director Masashi Komanba of Komeda said, "As a company that has been supported by the residents of Aichi Prefecture, we hope to help reduce the number of traffic accidents there through our participation as a provider of great coffee."

The Director-in-charge of CSR and Environment at KDDI, Akira Dobashi, also stated that, "We have already been carrying out educational activities to prevent the use of smartphones while driving, and we hope that this initiative between the three companies will help solve the problem facing Aichi Prefecture. We developed the Driving Barista smartphone application as a fun way to help prevent traffic accidents. We hope to contribute to accident prevention by providing a new experience for drivers."

Toyota, KDDI, and Komeda will continue to take steps toward the realization of a safe and secure society.

Project duration

• Application download period: Starting September 20, 2016
• Application usage period: From September 20, 2016 to October 6, 2016
• Coffee coupon redemption period: From September 20, 2016 to October 31, 2016

Please refer to the following link for more information on Driving Barista
http://www.au.kddi.com/cmp/driving-barista/

Notes:

1. Data compiled by the Aichi Prefectural Police
2. OrganizerChunichi Shimbun, Co-hosts CBC Television, Tokai Television Broadcasting, Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Chukyo Television Broadcasting, Aichi Television Broadcasting, CBC Radio, Tokai Radio Broadcasting, FM AICHI, ZIP-FM
3. 100 km the first time, and every 200 km thereafter
4. Customers may redeem coffee coupons in stores after 12:00 pm. Coupons may not be redeemable at some store locations.
5. Data compiled by KDDI Corporation. Any use of a smartphone, regardless of whether the car is moving or stopped at a traffic signal, etc., was counted as use of a smartphone while driving. Please refer to the following link for more information on Driving Barista

The new model builds on the strengths and achievements of its predecessors and is set to establish new benchmarks in fuel economy, emissions and efficiency. Each successive Prius has delivered improvements in these areas, but the new model is aiming to make the biggest leap yet in performance, with a target of improving CO₂ emissions by 18 per cent*.

This achievement is only one aspect of a product that has evolved to acquire new capabilities and greater driver appeal. Powered by a new generation of Toyota's full hybrid powertrain, the new Prius marks significant advances in highway fuel economy and provides a much more rewarding driving experience. Acceleration is smoother and more responsive, and, at higher speeds, is quieter and has a more linear feel that is better aligned to engine speed.

The new car's dynamic capabilities are rooted in the use of the first Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. At a stroke, this endows the car with a lower centre of gravity for improved handling response and stability. It also gives the designers a freer hand to craft a car that has richer visual appeal, with lower lines overall and a more athletic profile. TNGA also helps define the "peace-of-mind" interior, with its excellent packaging, driving position and comfort. Load space is also improved thanks to the use of a smaller, more energy-dense hybrid battery and a new double wishbone rear suspension system — features which do not intrude in trunk capacity.

The Prius remains Toyota's technological ambassador, a showcase for new, relevant technologies that raise levels of safety, convenience, performance and comfort.

Safety remains a priority, with the TNGA chassis optimised for excellent impact performance. The scope of the Toyota Safety Sense package is extended in the new Prius with addition of radar-managed Adaptive Cruise Control and a Pedestrian Detection function for the Pre-Crash Safety system.

The full hybrid powertrain has undergone extensive revisions to improve efficiency, reduce weight and sharpen performance. Detailed design changes to the engine have achieved more than 40 per cent thermal efficiency — world-best performance for a gasoline unit. Other hybrid system components have been made more compact and have been repositioned for optimum packaging, further contributing to the car's lower centre of gravity. The new nickel-metal hydride hybrid battery is more compact while its durability and charging performance have been significantly improved.

In combination, these changes and innovations confound the popular notion of what an eco-car should be like to drive and to look at. The new Prius demonstrates the genuine rewards that remain to be enjoyed from Toyota full hybrid technology, advantages that will steadily feed through to new generations of other Toyota hybrid models.

Prius Heritage

In 1997 the original Toyota Prius was launched with the declaration "just in time for the 21st century". As the world's first mass-produced hybrid-powered car, it was true to the Latin roots of its name in being ahead of its time.

That first car was a small four-door sedan, powered by a new hybrid system featuring a combination of 1.5-litre VVT-i Atkinson cycle gasoline engine and 33 kW electric motor. Headline efficiency figures were 120 g/km CO₂ emissions and an average 5.1 l/100km fuel consumption. This initial package was comprehensively redesigned and improved in the second generation model in 2003, with considerable gains in power and efficiency, plus a larger, more stylish, comfortable and practical hatchback design. The improved hybrid system adopted a hybrid battery pack that was smaller and lighter and offered a higher energy density. The fuel economy improved by 15 per cent to 4.3 l/100km and CO₂ levels fell to a new low of 104 g/km.

The current Prius made its debut in 2009, delivering an even stronger combination of power and efficiency. The hybrid system's output was now more than a third greater than in the original model, while at the same time CO₂ emissions had fallen by a quarter and fuel consumption was 23 per cent better.

The first generation Prius created the hybrid vehicle market, the second generation raised the model's popularity with a more advanced image, and the third generation secured mass-market success, helping Toyota progressively roll out hybrid power into its mainstream model ranges.

In its first 18 years, the Prius has reshaped the motoring landscape, bringing hybrid technology into the mainstream market and helping focus the attention of industry and consumers on how cars can be made cleaner and more efficient. The way in which people have come to understand, appreciate and adopt Toyota hybrid power is witnessed by more than eight million cumulative sales of Toyota hybrids worldwide since 1997, including more than 3.5 million Prius. The growth rate has accelerated in line with the technology's higher visibility and the availability of an increasing range of vehicles covering different market segments. The fourth generation Prius will add further impetus to hybrid's market appeal, achieving its strongest environmental performance yet, while delivering much improved styling and driving dynamics.

Toyota's experience with the Prius has been central to its development of hybrid as a foundation technology for alternative powertrains, not just with conventional gasoline and diesel engines, but with biofuels and hydrogen fuel cells as well. The basic technical premise that gave Toyota its breakthrough with Prius continues to support development of new mobility solutions, from the all-electric urban i-Road to Mirai, Toyota's first hydrogen fuel cell saloon.

The Market

The new car market has changed greatly in the 18 years since Toyota introduced the original Prius and set in motion its hybrid technology programme. Growing awareness of environmental issues and the need to protect natural resources have not only shifted people's perceptions of how a vehicle should perform, they have been reinforced by national and international legislation requiring manufacturers to reduce vehicle emissions.

These changes have helped Toyota hybrids establish themselves in markets worldwide and have also given impetus to other manufacturers in the development of rival hybrid systems and other alternatives to conventional gasoline and diesel engines, such as all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

Hybrid has become Toyota's key competitive advantage, the principal quality that differentiates it from other manufacturers and which gives it a specific strength in the marketplace. This is reflected in the fact Toyota hybrids make up more than 50 per cent of all the alternative powertrain vehicles sold in Europe — more than all the other hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles combined.

The way in which hybrid has become a driver for Toyota's success in Europe's core new car market segments is evidenced by sales figures for 2014 which show hybrids accounted for 55 per cent of all Auris sales and 33 per cent of Yaris sales. Furthermore, hybrid is bringing more new customers to Toyota, with these models attracting significantly high levels of conquest sales from other brands — up to 63 per cent for Yaris Hybrid and 51 per cent for Auris Hybrid.

Toyota believes hybrid's market potential will increase further, with more people taking up the technology as the emissions performance of conventional gasoline and diesel engines come under closer scrutiny and legislative control. At the same time, more manufacturers are following Toyota by introducing their own hybrid models, increasing competition and giving customers a wider choice.

Toyota will continue to enjoy the advantage of offering a full hybrid system, in which the electric motor can operate independently of the petrol engine. This allows the car to be driven in all-electric EV mode when possible, with zero fuel consumption and zero tailpipe emissions. These benefits are not available in "mild" hybrid systems, in which the electric motor can be used only to support the performance of a gasoline or diesel engine.

Toyota believes that continuous improvement of its full hybrid technology will enable it to strengthen its market position, ahead of the wider uptake of alternatives such as plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Key challenges in securing this growth are to strengthen environmental performance while increasing the attractiveness of hybrids as desirable cars that are fun to drive. These qualities are fundamental to the new Prius, which sets new benchmarks for environmental performance while making a stronger emotional connection with customers through improved styling, quality and driveability.

THE THREE PILLARS OF THE NEW PRIUS

The new Prius is founded on outstanding hybrid technology, delivering unprecedented efficiency and environmental performance. But beyond these credentials it embraces stronger emotional and performance qualities that give it wider and greater appeal to customers who appreciate eye-catching, original styling, high levels of sensory quality, practicality and a driving experience that is genuinely fun and rewarding.

The realisation of these qualities in the new Prius is based on three pillars: the Toyota New Global Architecture, design and styling, and a new generation full hybrid system.

Toyota's First TNGA Platform

The new Prius is the first model to use a Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. This plays a defining role in the car's essential fun-to-drive quality, giving new Prius a lower centre of gravity compared to the current model, which in turn allows for an improved driving position.

It makes a significant contribution to improved driving dynamics — beyond what might be expected of an eco-car. This quality is further supported by a body that is 60 per cent more rigid than before thanks to extensive use of high-strength steels and additional reinforcement to the centre pillars' lower structure and the panel connection. The result is superior, direct and responsive handling, without having to use firmer suspension settings.

Double wishbone rear suspension

The new double wishbone rear suspension plays a significant part in this, producing one-third the level of shock when driving on uneven roads compared to the current Prius. To achieve better handling with more direct response, the front MacPherson strut suspension has been revised with an increase in the incline angle of the shock absorbers and the use of slant bearings.

The chassis is fully able to harness the more responsive acceleration provided by the new full hybrid system. Greater stability is maintained, body roll is much reduced in high-speed lane changes and performance is smoother on rough surfaces. On winding roads, new Prius holds easily to the driver's intended line and there is outstanding straight-line stability when driving at speed.

Improved safety with TNGA

Safety is a key consideration in the development of the new TNGA platforms, not just in terms of secure, stable handling, but also in improving the driver's vision. The view from the steering wheel of new Prius is significantly wider and deeper than in the current model and rearward vision is improved by the wider curve of the rear glass.

The platform has been optimised for excellent performance in independent international crash testing, including Euro NCAP.

Styling and Design

New Prius is not simply "another green car," its design and high quality throughout give it greater emotional appeal and a powerful, desirable presence, underpinned by the fundamental strengths of the new TNGA platform. As Toyota's most advanced car, it is appropriate that it is an image leader and the intention has been to produce a design that makes an immediate impact.

The car's new low-slung stance — made possible by the TNGA platform — suggests an excellent driving performance, supported by a distinctive new body silhouette that is both athletic and aerodynamically efficient. The result is a "human-tech" design with strong emotional quality, fully exploiting the opportunity presented by the car's lower centre of gravity.

Exterior

The design theme for the new Prius has been to capture in the contrast created between the rich curves and hard surfaces of the bodywork. The result is a new form that stands out with its smooth yet sharp use of lines.

The frontal design is true to Prius's heritage in making the Toyota emblem a strong focal point, but it also makes an impactful visual statement about its more advanced design and performance with a much lower hood height. New headlights have permitted slimmer, more striking headlamp units to be designed and these combine with an intricate but unfussy treatment of the fog lights and air intakes to give the car a distinctive and intelligent appearance

In profile, the Prius displays a silhouette that is lower and more athletic. The TNGA platform has allowed for significant reduction in height in key areas to create a lower, more dynamic appearance. The overall height has been reduced by 20 mm compared to the current Prius, to 1,470 mm. The peak of the roof has been moved forward, and the belt line has been dropped, emphasising the car's stronger dynamic qualities. The new model retains the 2, 700 mm wheelbase of the current Prius, but is 60 mm longer overall at 4,540 mm. It is also 15 mm wider at 1,760 mm.

New Prius has a unique aerodynamic treatment to the rear section of the roof, which supports the clean flow of air over and away from the vehicle. The new TNGA platform is also designed for the smoothest possible airflow beneath the car. In combination, the car's low wind resistance features secure a world-class coefficient of drag.

The rear end design flows strongly from the rear spoiler down through the bumper, with the wheel placement further emphasising the car's firmly planted stance. The slim, striking combination lamps have been moved to the outer edge of the car, following a sharp angle that is accentuated by the distinctive, unbroken line of the red LED tail lights.

Toyota has produced a vibrant colour palette for new Prius with seven exterior finishes available, including a new shade, Emotional Red.

Interior

"Peace of mind" is the theme for the cabin, which is designed to be a welcoming, quiet and comfortable space, with a dashboard that wraps gently around the driver and which flows almost seamlessly into the door panels. The number of different parts that make up the instrument panel has been reduced, for example the piano black section is now a single unit. This creates a strong visual contrast with the areas of the dashboard and door panels, finished in a high-quality white material that is soft to the touch and scratch-resistant.

The fine attention to detail can be seen in elements such as the air vents, while the high ergonomic quality extends to intuitive positioning and range of adjustment of the seats. The high sensory quality of the interior is further emphasised by a pleasingly tactile leather steering wheel trim. Two interior colour choices have been created for the new Prius — cool grey and black. Overall the cabin environment is light and spacious.

Quietness has always been a distinguishing characteristic of Toyota's hybrid vehicles and the new Prius provides a cabin environment that exudes a genuine sense of luxury in exceptionally low levels of noise, vibration and harshness. New Prius's improved ride is further supported by a new front seat design that provides more comfort and wraparound support.

New Hybrid System

The New Prius heralds the next generation of Toyota's signature hybrid powertrain. This new family of powertrains builds on the two pillars that have made Toyota hybrids popular with drivers across the globe: on the one hand their fuel efficiency, and on the other the relaxed and carefree drive that they provide.

Toyota has focused its efforts on making this next generation of hybrids even easier and more intuitive to drive. They have been set up so that they give a natural, immediate, but smooth response to any accelerator pedal input. Refined and confident, they deliver the right level of performance.

But of course, fuel economy has been improved as well. The new hybrid systems will come in a more compact package, that is lighter in weight and lower in cost. This new generation will reflect significant advances in battery, electric motor and gasoline engine technologies.

The batteries will offer higher energy density, which means more output from units of the same dimensions and weight.

The electric motors will be smaller in size, yet also provide a better power-to-weight ratio.

And the thermal efficiency of the gasoline engine — at 38.5 per cent already very high on the current Prius — is increased to more than 40 per cent — a world's best for a gasoline unit.

As a result, applied to the new Prius, this new hybrid system targets an 18 per cent* improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the current car .

PRIUS: TOYOTA'S HIGH-TECH AMBASSADOR

The Prius has always provided a reference point for Toyota's development of useful, intuitive high-tech features and that remains true for the fourth generation model, which benefits from a number of innovations that support safety, convenience and better, more sophisticated HMI (Human Machine Interface) performance.

New Prius Chief Engineer Koji Toyoshima explains: "Prius is the ambassador for Toyota technology, a brand vector pulling hybrid sales of our core models."

Toyota Safety Sense with additional functions

The new Prius will make a significant advance in active and preventive safety measures with the adoption of Toyota Safety Sense. This package of safety features will be further extended in the new Prius with the addition of radar-governed Adaptive Cruise Control and a pedestrian recognition capability in the Pre-Collision Safety system.

In the current Prius range, only around two per cent of vehicles are sold with the Pre-Crash Safety system. In the new Prius this is one of the standard features of Toyota Safety Sense, together with Lane Departure Alert, Automatic High Beam and Road Sign Assist.

Extra sensors for safety and convenience

The technologies Toyota has developed for successive generations of the Prius have always served a clear purpose. This continues in the new model with an increase in the number of sensors to provide the driver with more comprehensive information, improving safety and convenience. In effect, new Prius becomes a driver's sixth sense, recognising and anticipating things they might not notice themselves.

* According to New European Cycle (NEDC)

]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2015 01:00:00 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/clients/150_1523.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/clients/150_1523.png?10000 https://newsroom.toyota.eu/toyota-at-frankfurt/ https://newsroom.toyota.eu/toyota-at-frankfurt/220395

At the forthcoming IAA motor show in Frankfurt (Press day September 15-16, Public days September 19-27^th), two dominant themes will shape the Toyota stand. One is the relentless expansion of Toyota's hybrid line-up. The other is the continuation of the roll-out and democratisation of the Toyota Safety Sense active safety technology.

The unmistakable star of the Toyota display will be the new Prius, which celebrates its motor show World-Premiere at Frankfurt. But the show also marks the European Premiere of the new RAV4 Hybrid, and the global debut of the second TOYOTA C-HR Concept hybrid crossover.

As Toyota continues the roll-out of Toyota Safety Sense across its range, the second iteration of the system premieres at Frankfurt, with Pedestrian Recognition and Adaptive Cruise Control being added to system's existing features[1].

The Toyota Press Conference takes place at 12:45 on Tuesday September 15^th, on the Toyota stand in Hall 8.

Committed to achieving a safe mobility society, Toyota believes it is important to promote an approach which involves people, vehicles, and the traffic environment, as well as the pursuit of "real-world safety" by learning from accidents and incorporating that knowledge into vehicle development.

This year, Toyota is launching 'Toyota Safety Sense', a newly developed set of active safety technologies designed to help prevent or mitigate collisions across a wide range of traffic situations.

All cars equipped with Toyota Safety Sense will feature a Pre-Collision System¹ (PCS) with an urban function and Lane Departure Alert (LDA). For vehicles equipped with millimetre-wave radar, Toyota Safety Sense will be further expanded with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and PCS with a Pedestrian recognition function. To further enhance safety as well as driver convenience, some models will also feature Automatic High Beam (AHB) and Road Sign Assist (RSA) systems.

Between speeds of approximately 10 km/h to 80 km/h, Pre-Collision System detects objects ahead of the vehicle and reduces the risk of hitting the car in front. When there is a possibility of a collision it prompts the driver to brake with an audible and visual alert. PCS also primes the brake system to deliver extra stopping force when the driver presses the brake pedal. If the driver fails to react in time, the system automatically applies the brakes, reducing speed by approximately 30 km/h² or even bringing the car to a complete stop, in order to prevent the collision or mitigate the force of impact.

Vehicles equipped with a millimetre-wave radar benefit from the addition of Adaptive Cruise Control and a Pre-Collision System with two significant enhancements.

Firstly, for potential collisions with vehicles, PCS operates at an expanded relative speed range of between 10 km/h and the vehicle's top speed, and can reduce speed by approximately 40 km/h³. Secondly, the system is also able to detect potential collisions with pedestrians, in the event of which automated braking operates at relative speeds of between 10 to 80 km/h, and can reduce speed by approximately 30 km/h¹.

Adaptive Cruise Control helps the driver to keep a safe distance from the car in front. It detects preceding vehicles and determines their speed. ACC then adjusts vehicle speed (within a set range) to ensure that there is a safe distance between both cars. By using the forward-facing camera and millimetre-wave radar in combination to monitor vehicles merging into or out of the lane ahead, ACC helps maintain smooth acceleration and deceleration while driving.

The Lane Departure Alert system monitors lane markings and helps prevent accidents and head-on collisions caused by leaving lanes. If the vehicle starts to deviate from the lane without the indicators having been engaged, LDA warns the driver with an audible and visual alert, and can provide steering input depending on the model.

Automatic High Beam helps ensure excellent forward visibility during night-time driving. It detects both the headlights of oncoming vehicles and the tail lights of preceding vehicles, automatically switching between high and low beams to avoid dazzling other drivers. By using high beams more frequently the system enables earlier detection of pedestrians and obstacles.

Road Sign Assist supports drivers by ensuring they always have the best possible information, even if they have, perhaps, overlooked a road sign. It identifies traffic signage such as speed limit, no overtaking, road condition and highway and expressway signs. System status and alert information is displayed to the driver on the instrument colour TFT multi-information screen. In case of speed limits, the system gives a visual and audible alert should the driver drive exceed the posted limit.

Thanks to the reduced risk of being involved in traffic accidents, vehicles equipped with Toyota Safety Sense can benefit from lower insurance costs⁴or a more advantageous insurance reclassification⁴.

The new safety pack will initially be made available on the new Auris and new Avensis ranges, as well as on AYGO and Yaris. Depending on model, Toyota Safety Sense will be offered as standard, or at a competitive price.

"By the end of 2015, up to 70% of European Toyota buyers will be able to spec their car with Toyota Safety Sense", says Didier Leroy, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe. "It is only when safety systems are in widespread use that they can have a real impact on the elimination of traffic accidents and fatalities. That's why Toyota has decided to launch the democratisation of advanced safety technologies in its cars"

¹ Technical name: Pre-Crash System

² Results achieved during testing using a vehicle travelling at 30 km/h and a stationary vehicle/pedestrian system operation depends on driving environment (incl. road and weather) and vehicle circumstances.

³ Results achieved during testing using a vehicle travelling at 40 km/h and a stationary vehicle/pedestrian system operation depends on driving environment (incl. road and weather) and vehicle circumstances.

⁴ Market dependant

Data¹ shows that, in Japan, although traffic deaths have halved in the past 10 years, pedestrians now account for more traffic deaths than those by people aboard vehicles (35.2% compared to 32.9% in 2010). Data also shows that more than half (50.4%) of traffic deaths are suffered by people 65 years of age and older and that nearly half (49.3%) of all deaths occur during between sunset and sunrise.

In response, the technologies unveiled today include a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with collision-avoidance assist, glare-preventing adaptive driving beams (ADB) and a pop-up hood for lessening pedestrian injury.

TMC, since its founding, has made its mission to contribute to society through the manufacture of automobiles. This has been reflected in the Toyota Global Vision announced in March this year, under which TMC has committed to producing cars that are safe, provide peace of mind and that move people not only physically but also emotionally. TMC has long conducted safety-related activities based on three pillars: development of safe motor vehicles, educational activities concerning traffic safety, and participation in traffic-environment development. Learning from real-world accidents and continuously improving its testing, products and services is TMC's fundamental approach—under the Integrated Safety Management Concept²—to developing safe vehicles. This has led TMC to establish the Collaborative Safety Research Center this year in the United States to conduct joint research with universities, hospitals and research organizations in North America.

TMC's Enhanced Safety Technologies 

1. PCS with Collision-Avoidance Assist 

TMC is aiming to develop vehicles less likely to be involved in accidents, including vehicles fitted with advanced PCS technologies.

1) Rear-End Collision and Pedestrian Accident Countermeasures 

In contrast to TMC's current PCS, which is designed to predict collisions under certain situations and aims to reduce collision damage, the PCS under development is designed to aid in avoiding collisions. The system uses millimeter-wave radar and stereo cameras to detect pedestrians and vehicles in front. In addition, the system emits near-infrared beams to enhance visibility at night. This new PCS is designed to avoid collisions should the driver not apply the brakes, though the effectiveness of the PCS depends on the driving environment and circumstances.

2) Lane Departure Prevention 

This system, an advancement of the PCS designed to avoid rear-end collisions and accidents involving pedestrians, addresses lane deviation by integrating control of the brakes and the steering. The system is being developed to comprehensively monitor a broad set of circumstances outside the vehicle, including the location of roadside obstacles and approaching vehicles, evaluate collision risks, change the direction of the vehicle and navigate a safe route, thus helping the driver avoid an accident.

2. Other Safety Technologies 

In addition to the above outlined PCS technologies, TMC is also developing a broad range of technologies aimed at protecting those most vulnerable in traffic accidents, such as pedestrians and elderly drivers.

1) Adaptive Driving Beam 

Two years ago, TMC launched automatic high beams. When a camera installed on the vehicle detects the taillights of vehicles ahead or the headlights of oncoming vehicles, the high beams automatically switch to low beams to enhance nighttime visibility. TMC has further improved this system so that high-beam light from an ADB-fitted vehicle is partially shielded to prevent light from directly striking the drivers of vehicles ahead and oncoming to prevent vision-impairing glare. This is aimed at allowing drivers to maintain near-high beam illumination to improve nighttime visibility and at contributing to a reduction in accidents involving pedestrians and other vehicles.

2) Pop-up Hood 

Since 2001, TMC has been introducing and expanding the use of vehicle-body structures designed to decrease pedestrian injuries. The new vehicle-body structures are based on the results of testing and verification using both conventional crash-test dummies and THUMS virtual-human models³. TMC's newly developed pop-up hood helps reduce pedestrian head injury caused by collision with a vehicle—even when a vehicle has a low hood with limited space underneath—by automatically raising the rear of the hood to increase the space underneath.

3) Emergency-response Technology 

Sudden cardiovascular irregularity (such as ventricular fibrillation) while driving can cause a driver to lose consciousness, thus creating a potentially dangerous situation. TMC's newly developed emergency-response technology is the result of research on a system to monitor cardiovascular functions through the driver's grasp of the steering wheel and to detect risks. By conducting further research, TMC aims to commercialize a system that can contribute to the prevention of major accidents caused by sudden changes in the driver's physical condition. TMC plans to publicly exhibit details of its research at the 28th General Assembly of the Japan Medical Congress starting on April 2 at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center in Odaiba, Tokyo.

¹From the Japanese National Police Agency

²An approach to safety that seeks to provide the driver with comprehensive support in all aspects of driving and not focus solely on independent safety systems.

³The models facilitate in-depth computer analysis of injuries sustained during traffic accidents. "THUMS" stands for "total human model for safety".

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has added a small female and a large male to Version 4of its THUMS* virtual human model, which makes possible analyses detailed to a degree which is not possible to achieve withconventional crash-test dummies.

The models of a 153 cm-tall female and a 189 cm-tall male will join the 179 cm-tall average-build adult male in THUMS Version 4, released last year. All three models come in two types—a vehicle occupant and pedestrian—bringing the totalnumber of models to six. It is now possible to take into account different body sizes when conducting analyses of internalinjuries caused by automobile collisions.

Version 4 is the result of a cooperative development arrangement with Toyota Central RandD Labs, Inc., universities and otherexternal research institutes to take detailed measurements of the human body's internal structure using a high-precision CT(computed tomography) scanner. By creating precise models of various internal organs including their positions and howthey interconnect, TMC was able to develop a virtual human model containing approximately 14 times more information thanthe previous version. This increased detail allows finer understanding of how damage is applied to internal organs during acollision.

Beginning this summer, the small female and large male models will be marketed to universities through Toyota Technical Development Corporation and to private companies through consultant JSOL Corporation.

To realize the elimination of traffic fatalities and injuries, TMC will apply the results of THUMS tests to develop safer vehicles. Furthermore, TMC has plans to add an elderly person and a child model to make an even more diverse range of testing possible.

*Total HUman Model for Safety. THUMS allows highly detailed analysis of bone fractures, severed ligaments, etc. by simulating many characteristics ofthe human body—ranging from the shape of the body to its skeletal structure and skin. TMC began developing THUMS in 1997 in cooperation withToyota Central RandD Labs, Inc. Version 1 was completed and commercially launched in 2000, followed in by Version 2 in 2004, which added a face andbones to the model. Version 3, launched in 2006, added a precise brain model. Version 4, with detailed modeling of internal organs, was completed andreleased in 2010.

Toyota City, Japan, April 1, 2011—Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) established today the post of chief safety technology officer (CSTO) and appointed to it Managing Officer Moritaka Yoshida. The newly created post will comprehensively coordinate Toyota's safety technologies and is aimed at speeding up decision-making and further strengthening global external communication abilities in the field of vehicle safety technology development.

The device is designed to meet new Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism guidelines* for hybrid and other near-silent vehicles.

TMC also plans other versions of the device for use in gasoline-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles as well as fuel-cell hybrid vehicles planned for launch.

In addition, to promote senior-citizen traffic-safety awareness, an important theme of this year's campaign, TMC has prepared a flyer to be handed out to drivers at nationwide vehicle dealers, logistics systems companies, forklift dealers, parts distributors and rental/lease dealers.

This year marks the 42nd year that TMC has engaged in these activities, which began in 1969. To date, TMC has donated approximately 123.65 million picture books and 1.29 million traffic-safety storytelling card sets.

TMC has reaffirmed its commitment to customer safety as its top priority, based on the view that realizing a society free of traffic casualties requires an integrated approach encompassing people, cars and the traffic environment. Accordingly, this year TMC will again be actively implementing other traffic-safety awareness activities in addition to the above campaign.

Details of the Spring Toyota Traffic Safety Campaign

“Let me assure everyone that we will redouble our commitment to quality as the lifeline of our company. With myself taking the lead, all of us at Toyota will tackle the issue in close cooperation with our dealers and with our suppliers. Together, we will do everything in our power to regain the confidence of our customers,” said TMC President Akio Toyoda, regarding the recall.

Drivers of the four models subject to the recall can experience reduced braking performance resulting in increased braking distance when their vehicles switch to hydraulic braking-only to activate ABS (which is used to stabilize handling on slippery surfaces, such as snowy and icy roads) at slow speeds. Both a hydraulic braking system and a regenerative braking system work in unison in ordinary driving conditions.

Applying increased pressure to the brake pedal when ABS has taken effect will yield the intended braking performance. TMC has undertaken the recall, however, in the interest of ensuring customer confidence and peace of mind. Its corrective ABS software programming will resolve the problem. TMC will begin notifying owners through its dealers today, and dealers will begin conducting the corrective reprogramming, which is expected to take approximately 40 minutes per vehicle, on February 10.

Worldwide, Toyota has sold about 400,000 of the vehicles subject to the recall announced today in Japan. The company will take remedial measures as soon as possible in the United States, Europe and in other regions.

The remedy involves installing a precision-cut steel reinforcement bar into the accelerator-pedal assembly that creates a space to reduce the surface tension between the friction device and a component called the pedal arm. The bar also strengthens the reaction force of the spring that returns the accelerator pedal to itsnon-pressed position.

Preparations are now underway to have U.S. dealers apply the remedy to affected vehicles. Priority is placed on addressing vehicles already in the marketplace, andconsiderations are also being made toward recommencing sales and production of the vehicle models concerned.

TMC plans to implement a similar remedy in Europe, China and other countries and regions, where details are to be worked out with local authorities.

*Certain 2009-2010 RAV4, certain 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, certain 2007-2010Camry, certain 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia

Glock will demonstrate Toyota's Pre-crash Safety System on the new Prius. The system uses millimetre-wave radar to detect obstacles on the road ahead and warns the driver if it detects there is strong possibility of a collision. If the driver does not take corrective action, the system automatically engages the brakes to reduce the speed of collision and limit the risk of serious injury and damage.

eSafety is a generic term used to describe intelligent vehicle technologies that provide vital information and warnings to drivers to help prevent dangerous road situations and accidents from occurring. The systems are designed to protect the safety of vehicle occupants by helping drivers make the right decisions and remain in control of their vehicle by informing, advising and alerting the driver about dangerous situations.

Toyota is a founding member of the "eSafetyAware!" platform, a pan-European initiative promoting life-saving technologies to consumers. The eSafety Challenge is hosted by Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) with support from eSafetyAware!, the European Commission and Euro NCAP.

Glock will demonstrate the capability of Toyota's Pre-crash Safety System on the new Prius at 15:00 on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 at ACI Vallelunga. Also on display will be Toyota's Safety Challenge truck, where guests can meet Toyota's top safety experts and learn about the latest industry and company developments in vehicle safety technology.

At the event, the Toyota traffic-safety mascot "Cuccu-doodle-doo" will help teach traffic-safety rules in an easy-to-understand manner, while traffic situations recreated outdoors with real cars will help teach how to properly cross a street, the meaning of different traffic signals and the dangers of running out into the street.

For guardians, there will be presentations on children's behavior, accident case studies and the importance of household education on traffic safety. A video presentation on proper seatbelt use will also be shown.

Also, as part of its social contribution activities in other regions of Japan, TMC holds an annual "Toyota Safety School" event for kindergarten and nursery school children living in and around Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. This event has been held at the Toyota Kaikan Exhibition Hall in Toyota City since 1975. Plans call for the event to be held from May to July this year.

Outline of "Toyota Safety School in 'mobilitas'"

Outline of "Toyota Safety School in 'mobilitas'" event content

The systems were evaluated in public-road tests sponsored by UTMS Japan and carried out in Toyota City from December 2008 to March 2009, based on the New IT Reform Strategy outlined in January 2006 by the Japanese government's IT Strategic Headquarters. Those tests were part of the broader "ITS-Safety 2010" intelligent transport systems testing program in Aichi Prefecture (sponsored by Japan's private-public ITS Promotion Council) aimed at achieving practical application of vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems in the year ending March 2011.

Based on its "Integrated Safety Management Concept", TMC, in addition to developing onboard autonomous safety devices and systems, is promoting development of infrastructure-respondent systems that allow vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure information exchanges using intelligent transport systems technologies.

Toward the achievement of sustainable mobility, TMC is not only developing safer vehicles and technologies, but is also participating in the creation of a safe traffic environment and conducting traffic safety awareness activities to help realize the complete elimination of traffic casualties.

Driver safety support systems to be demonstrated

1) Road-to-vehicle system for helping drivers notice red lights

Traffic-light status is sent to the vehicle from an optical beacon installed on the roadside. The driver is alerted when the light is red. If there is a possibility that the driver may run the red light, the system issues further alerts.

2) Road-to-vehicle system for helping drivers timely start from stop

Traffic light status is sent to the vehicle from an optical beacon installed on the roadside. When a vehicle is stopped at a red light, the system displays the approximate remaining time before the red light turns green. The system also changes its display at a predetermined time before the light turns green to prompt the driver to prepare to accelerate, thus assisting in timely starts from stop.

3) Road-to-vehicle system for helping drivers notice stop signs

Stop-sign information is sent to the vehicle from an optical beacon installed on the roadside. The system alerts drivers to the presence of an intersection requiring them to come to a complete stop before proceeding. If there is the possibility that the driver will not stop, the system further alerts the driver to the stop sign.

4) Road-to-vehicle system for helping drivers avoid rear-ending other vehicles

Information regarding a vehicle ahead that has stopped or is traveling at a very low speed is sent to the vehicle traveling behind it by an optical beacon installed on the roadside. The system alerts the driver to the presence of the slow traveling or stopped vehicle ahead.

5) Road-to-vehicle system for helping drivers notice pedestrians crossing the street

Information indicating pedestrian crossings, pedestrians and or bicycles in close proximity is sent to the vehicle by an optical beacon installed on the roadside. When the driver makes a turn, the system alerts the driver to the presence of the pedestrians or bicycles.

Reference:

Aichi Prefecture driving safety support systems tests

The tests were conducted to evaluate the extent to which vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems can contribute to reducing traffic accidents and focused on how the presence or absence of information transmitted by communications infrastructure regarding traffic signals and stop signs affects traffic-accident rates.

The tests produced data on driver behavior under various driving conditions that will be applied to the development of vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems and to ongoing research aimed at improving traffic environments.

¹ Such systems aim to help prevent traffic accidents by providing the driver with visual and aural information regarding traffic conditions, thereby drawing the driver's attention to potential dangers and giving the driver more options to avoid such dangers. Research and development is being carried out principally by Japan's National Police Agency, but TMC is involved in systems RandD and testing in conjunction with UTMS Japan's working group on such systems.

² To take place at a facility of "Michi Navi Toyota", a Toyota City-operated website that provides transportation information

³ UTMS is engaged in the study, research and development of universal traffic management systems such as driving safety support systems. Universal traffic management systems provide traffic information to drivers in real time using infrared beacons that conduct two-way communications with individual vehicles. The systems also aim to achieve safe, comfortable and environmentally considerate mobility through the active management of traffic flow.

One of these new technologies is the Front-side Pre-crash Safety System, which TMC developed in response to research showing that collisions caused by a vehicle moving into the projected path of another result in the highest percentage of combined serious injuries and fatalities, while head-on collisions result in the highest rate of fatalities².

This technology uses diagonally projected, front-side millimeter-wave radar to more broadly detect vehicles or objects moving into the vehicle's path (especially in intersections where there is a clear range of view) or a vehicle that has crossed the centerline. If a high probability of collision is detected, safety functions within the car are activated to alert the driver and mitigate collision damage and occupant injuries.

Outline of Front-side Pre-crash Safety System

1) Detection scenario

2) Functions

3) Response

Pre-crash Seatbacks

Another of these new technologies, Pre-crash Seatbacks, automatically bring reclined rear seats to an upright position when the vehicle's sensors detect a high probability of a front- or rear-end collision. Rear occupants are therefore restrained in the most

appropriate pre-crash position—where the motor-powered seatbelts and airbags can have maximum effect—thereby helping to reduce the severity of injuries. In the event of a probable rear-end collision, the Pre-crash Seatbacks work together with (previously developed) Pre-crash Intelligent Headrests, which shift into the most appropriate position to reduce the risk of whiplash.

Outline of Pre-crash Seatbacks

The addition of the Front-side Pre-crash Safety System and Pre-crash Seatbacks to Toyota's Pre-crash Safety technologies is aimed at enabling vehicles to better respond to a broader range of accidents, thereby possibly reducing accident and injury severity.

TMC, as a part of its efforts to realize sustainable mobility, intends to strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future through: 1) the development of even safer vehicles and technologies based on TMC's Integrated Safety Management Concept³, 2) participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment, and 3) activities designed to educate people in traffic safety, thereby contributing to the complete elimination of traffic casualties, which can be viewed as the ultimate hope of a society that values mobility.

¹ As of January 31, 2009, according to TMC research

² From report concerning the circumstances surrounding traffic accidents during 2007, issued by the Traffic Bureau

of the National Police Agency in Japan

³ TMC's safety technology and vehicle development concept, which, by combining safety technologies and systems to provide optimal driving support, aims to successfully develop vehicles that do not cause accidents

TMC has continued to actively develop and make available its collision safety technologies—resulting in such achievements as the swift market introduction of SRS curtain shield and knee airbags—to enable its vehicles to better respond to a greater range of accidents.

As a part of its efforts to realize sustainable mobility, Toyota intends to strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future through: 1) the development of even safer vehicles and technologies, 2) participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment and 3) activities designed to educate people on traffic safety, thereby contributing to the complete elimination of traffic casualties, which can be viewed as the ultimate hope of a society that values mobility.

SRS rear window curtain shield airbag deployed

*According to TMC research, as of September 2008

The FIA Institute targeted this technology specifically to help study high speed rear impact crashes in the FIA Formula One World Championship and Indy Racing League (IRL). The THUMS technology has proved a very effective system in analyzing the complex interaction between the driver's body and the car in a high speed accident.

The FIA Institute and Dr Terry Trammell, a fellow of the FIA Institute and consultant to IRL, have provided TMC with data on such accidents and information on racecar seat structures. TMC has been using the data and information to carry out virtual collisions using THUMS and to simulated racecar seat designs, which have succeeded in replicating spinal injuries from high-speed rear impact collisions.

This cooperative effort has led to a determination of the mechanism for spinal-stress buildup — the result of a combination of g-forces and the unique seating position used in F1 and IRL racecars. The research has prompted considerations for measures to reduce stress on the spine during rear impact collisions. The FIA Institute expects this effort to lead to improved safety for F1, IRL and other single-seater racecar championships.

Caption:

THUMS is a computer model, jointly developed by TMC and Toyota Central RandD Labs, closely modeled on an actual human body and used to simulate injuries that are difficult to measure with crash-test dummies.

About the FIA Institute

The FIA Institute was established in October 2004 by the FIA and the FIA Foundation. It receives an annual grant from the FIA Foundation to fund research projects and other safety-led activities. The aims of the FIA Institute are to encourage the rapid development of new and improved safety technologies, to facilitate ever higher standards of education and training and to campaign to raise awareness of safety issues amongst all of those involved in motor sport. For further information: FIA Institute: info@fiainstitute.com

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that its Brake Assist, which helps apply proper braking power, can now—as a world's first(1)—coordinate with a vehicle's navigation system.

TMC's latest Brake Assist engages when a driver suddenly applies the brakes in response to stop-sign-proximity warnings provided by the navigation system through its display screen and aurally. The navigation system is able to provide the warnings by drawing on stop-sign information contained within its map data. The Brake Assist optimally adjusts the braking force based on both vehicle-position information (obtained using a rear-mounted camera) and the actual force with which the driver has applied the brakes. TMC hopes that this new technology, developed in conjunction with Aisin AW CO., Ltd., Zenrin Co., Ltd. and Toyota Mapmaster Incorporated, will help reduce collisions at intersections it intends to offer it on vehicle models scheduled for launch in Japan in the near future.

The development of the navigation-linked Brake Assist follows TMC's development in June 2007 of the world's first system to employ car navigation-system map data to warn drivers both visually and aurally of stop signs ahead—a system TMC enhanced in September 2007 by adding an aural warning that is activated when the driver does not begin to decelerate upon nearing the stop line.

As a part of its efforts to realize sustainable mobility, TMC intends to strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future through: 1) the development of even safer vehicles and technologies based on TMC's Integrated Safety Management Concept(2), 2) participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment and 3) activities designed to educate people in traffic safety, thereby contributing to the complete elimination of traffic casualties, which can be viewed as the ultimate hope of a society that values mobility.

1. As of January 2008, according to TMC survey.

2. TMC's safety technology and vehicle development concept, aimed at realizing vehicles that do not cause accidents by combining safety technologies and systems to provide optimal driving support based on actual driving conditions

Outline of Stop-sign Warning System and Navigation-linked Brake Assist

Note: The system is currently limited to stop signs on roads with four lanes or more in Tokyo's 23 wards and the cities of Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka. TMC plans to expand the area covered by the system in the future.

The eye-monitoring feature, which is to be offered in vehicle models scheduled for launch in Japan in the near future, uses a driver-monitoring camera and image-processing computer to determine the position of the driver's upper and lower eyelids. If the Pre-crash Safety System senses that a collision is imminent and also determines that the driver's eyes are not properly open—or, by using the hitherto face-monitoring feature, determines that the driver is not facing forward—it issues a warning to the driver earlier than it would without such driver-condition information.

TMC believes that the development of driver-condition evaluation technologies is vital to improving overall vehicle safety performance, as driver condition is seen as a key factor in traffic safety, with driver error being the main cause of traffic accidents (2). TMC is, thus, committed to continuing development of such technologies and to further enhancing its Pre-crash Safety System and other safety technologies.

As a part of its efforts to realize sustainable mobility, TMC intends to strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future through: 1) the development of even safer vehicles and technologies based on TMC's Integrated Safety Management Concept (3), 2) participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment and 3) activities designed to educate people in traffic safety, thereby contributing to the complete elimination of traffic casualties, which can be viewed as the ultimate hope of a society that values mobility.

1. As of December 2007, according to TMC survey.

2. According to a 2005 report by Japan's Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis.

3. TMC's safety technology and vehicle development concept, aimed at realizing vehicles that do not cause

accidents by combining safety technologies and systems to provide optimal driving support based on actual driving

conditions.

Outline of Pre-crash Safety System Eye-monitoring Feature

Sequence of System Operation

The system issues a warning to the driver earlier than usual, if it senses that a collision is imminent and determines that the driver is not facing forward or that the driver's eyes are not properly open.

For reference: Chronology of Previous Pre-crash Safety System Development

The cooperative systems, presented at a media event at TMC's Higashi Fuji Technical Center, make road-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian-to-vehicle information exchange possible, resulting in audio and visual warnings to drivers when a collision is probable. After further development, these systems—which can even reduce vehicle speed, if needed—are expected to reduce the number of traffic accidents that are difficult to prevent with conventional safety devices.

TMC's development of ITS vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems represents—along with the development and application of autonomous onboard safety devices—part of its efforts to develop safe vehicles under its Integrated Safety Management Concept, which was announced in August 2006 outlining that TMC aims to provide optimal driving support through a combination of integrated onboard technologies and infrastructure-respondent systems.

As a part of its efforts to realize sustainable mobility, TMC intends to strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future through: 1) the development of even safer vehicles and technologies, 2) participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment and 3) activities designed to educate people in traffic safety, thereby contributing to the complete elimination of traffic accidents and traffic casualties, which can be viewed as the ultimate hope of a society that values mobility.

*ITS-based cooperative systems receive information from communications infrastructure installed along the roadside and from other vehicles concerning traffic signs as well as objects that the driver cannot directly see, among other things. These systems notify the driver of beyond-view traffic signs and/or objects to support safe driving and help prevent accidents.

The driving simulator, located at TMC's Higashifuji Technical Center in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, uses video, an acceleration simulator and other technology that allows vehicle researchers and developers to conduct driving tests that would be too dangerous to perform in the real world or that require specific driving conditions. Providing one of the world's most-realistic simulated driving environments, it is designed to offer a driving experience that is as real as possible, so that driving characteristics can be accurately gauged.

Key to this virtual reality is the use of an actual vehicle placed on a platform housed inside a 7.1-meter-diameter dome, the ceiling of which serves as a giant 360-degree concave video screen. As the driver operates the vehicle, a tilt device, vibration apparatus and other devices manipulate the dome—which has a world top-class longitudinal range of movement of 35 meters and lateral range of movement of 20 meters—under precision computer control. The result is a faithful simulation of the actual sensation of driving, including a sense of speed, acceleration and riding comfort through turns and other driving maneuvers. Sound effects make the experience even more real.

Based on the Integrated Safety Management Concept, which lays out the direction of the company's safety technology and vehicle development, TMC plans to put the driving simulator to full use in advancing RandD not only for on-board vehicle safety systems, but also for systems that support safe driving practices and integrate cars with the road infrastructure. Cont'd

The driving simulator will mainly be used for:

1. Analysis of driving characteristics and development of active safety technology

Conducting an analysis of driving characteristics under such conditions as reduced awareness of one's surroundings (falling asleep at the wheel and drowsiness), inattentiveness to danger (glancing from side to side and not checking that the road is safe), impaired driving (inebriation, fatigue or illness), as well as developing active safety technology for effectively reducing the number of accidents.

2. Verifying the effectiveness of active safety technology

On the basis of the above, evaluating the effectiveness and sustainability of integrating driver-warning and vehicle-control systems for reducing the number of traffic accidents, so as to verify the effects of active safety technology.

Driving Simulator Specifications Dome size Height: 4.5m diameter: 7.1m Dome mobility Max. 35m lengthways, 20m sideways Dome tilt Max. 25 degrees Level of Vibration Max. variation of 50mm up or down Sensation of speed Max. 0.5G Turntable rotation Max. 330 degrees in either direction

Contact: Paul Nolasco/Tomomi Imai 03-3817-9161/9150

This year's autumn campaign's main themes are "traffic safety for the elderly", carried over from the spring campaign, and "the use of rear-seat seatbelts" (which is now obligatory), with the aim of raising drivers' awareness of safe driving practices.

Specifically, the campaign will involve the distribution of approximately 800,000 copies of an educational leaflet, created in line with the main themes, to customers visiting vehicle dealers and other locations nationwide. At dealer outlets, TMC will also display educational posters produced by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) for its own traffic safety campaign.

From October 16 to 22, posters will be displayed at JR Nagoya Station to broadly highlight the importance of traffic safety.

For more information, please contact Paul Nolasco/Tomomi Imai at (03) 3817-9161/9150

When side collisions occur, an SRS side airbag built into the front seat deploys, reducing the risk of upper body injury for front seat occupants. Furthermore, SRS curtain shield airbags, located between the front pillars and the roof-side rails, deploy to the sides of all occupants' heads to form a curtain-like barrier, reducing impact from the side windows, pillars and other internal objects, as well as from external objects such as telephone poles.

According to a study conducted in the United States1, SRS side airbags and SRS curtain shield airbags reduced deaths from side collisions by 37%. In the case of Japan, 73% of serious side collisions result in injuries to the head and upper body2.

In order to help lessen injuries in the event of a collision, Toyota has been equipping a wider range of vehicles with new airbags for some time, employing SRS side airbags for the Celsior launched in August 1996 and introducing the world's first ever SRS curtain shield airbags for the Progrès launched in May 1998.

As a part of its efforts to realize sustainable mobility, Toyota intends to strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future through: 1) the development of even safer vehicles and technologies, 2) participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment and 3) activities designed to educate people in traffic safety, thereby contributing to the complete elimination of traffic casualties, which can be viewed as the ultimate hope of a society that values mobility.

1. Data published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in October 2006. 2. 2005 statistical data from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis in Japan.

Diagram of SRS Side Airbag and SRS Curtain Shield Airbag System 

Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that it has developed the Active Headrest, a new head restraint that reduces the stress on the neck during low-speed, rear impacts. TMC plans to introduce the head restraint shortly, starting with new vehicle models.

At Toyota, the utmost importance is placed on improving vehicle safety through the analysis of accidents, and this approach has led to advances in passive safety technologies, such as the concept of omni-directional compatibility, pedestrian injury-lessening vehicle bodies and front seats based on the WIL (Whiplash Injury Lessening) concept. The Active Headrest has been developed to reduce the risk of whiplash injuries sustained during rear-end collision.

The lower unit built into the seatback recognizes when the occupant's lower back presses against the seatback it then triggers the upper unit, via a cable, to activate the head restraint. By moving diagonally upward (30mm upand 25mm forward), the head restraintquickly and securely catches the back of thehead.

Main Features of the Active Headrest The Active Headrest is an extension of the WIL concept seat, in which both the seatback and head restraint simultaneously cushion the head and lower back to reduce stress on the neck. Specifically, when the occupant's back presses against Cont'd the seatback during a rear-end collision, a built-in lower unit triggers the head restraint to move diagonally upward. This action swiftly and securely catches the back of the occupant's head, thereby reducing the risk of whiplash injury sustained by the neck upon collision (results will differ according to the physique, position and posture of the occupant inside the vehicle however, in-house testing of the Active Headrest showed that it reduced the severity of whiplash injury by 10-20% on Toyota's neck injury evaluation index compared with the traditional WIL concept seat).

As part of its efforts to realize sustainable mobility, Toyota intends to strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future through: 1) the development of even safer vehicles and technologies, 2) participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment and 3) activities designed to educate people in traffic safety, thereby contributing to the complete elimination of traffic casualties, which can be viewed as the ultimate hope of a society that values mobility.

Contact: Paul Nolasco/Tomomi Imai 03-3817-9161/9150

&bull Vehicle Stability Control will be available on most Toyota models as of May 2007

&bull Toyota will join the eSafetyAware! Platform, a pan-European initiative promoting life saving technologies to the consumers

&bull A Stakeholder Dialogue on Road Safety will be hosted by TME in Brussels on April 26th, 2007 during the UN Global Road Safety Week and &bull The 4th Red Cross European Road Safety campaign will be sponsored by Toyota.

Expanding the application of active safety technologies

Toyota will make Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) available across the European Union on most Toyota models, regardless of grade and equipment level from 1 May 2007 with other models following by the end of the year ¹.

Toyota has developed a wide range of technologies, which seek to ensure the highest possible level of safety. Among them, VSC is an active safety system that automatically helps control a vehicle when it starts to slide — due to a sharp turn at too high speed, for example. Toyota launched the world's first VSC system in 1995. According to accident analyses in Japan, VSC can reduce single vehicle accidents by up to 30%.

Joining the eSafetyAware! Platform

Intelligent vehicle safety systems - so called eSafety systems - can make a significant contribution to achieve the goal of halving the number of road deaths by 2010, target of the European Union. eSafetyAware! seeks to accelerate the market introduction of such life-saving technologies by organising information campaigns and dedicated events towards end-users.

Toyota Motor Europe has therefore decided to join the eSafetyAware! Platform and will take part in the "Choose ESC!" campaign to be launched on 8 May 2007. This campaign, which is supported by the European Commission, is a major pan-European initiative to promote consumer awareness of the life-saving potential of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems.

¹ The only exception will be base grade Land Cruiser, for which it is not at present feasible for technical reasons.

Stakeholder Dialogue on Road Safety

Toyota Motor Europe today hosted a Stakeholder Dialogue on Road Safety, during the UN Global Road Safety week. This event provides a platform for a range of road safety NGOs, public authorities and other stakeholders to demonstrate their contributions in reducing the number of fatalities on Europe's roads. Particular focus was given to the protection of vulnerable road users, road safety promotion and education.

Mr. Tadashi Arashima, President and CEO Toyota Motor Europe, attended the event together with Mr. Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission. Mr Arashima said: "As a major vehicle manufacturer, Toyota has a clear responsibility toward road safety. In addition to the development of new technologies in areas such as active and passive safety, we also want to cooperate closely with all stakeholders. Sharing best practice with all involved actors is in line with our commitment to the European Road Safety Charter which we recently signed"

Supporting the Red Cross Road Safety campaign

Between April 2007 and June 2008, the Red Cross will undertake a Europe-wide campaign to increase awareness, knowledge and respect of road safety rules and behaviours and promote first aid amongst the general public.

Toyota Motor Europe and its national marketing and sales companies have been partners of the Red Cross since 2003 and will once again support this campaign. This support will include both financial contributions and benefit-in-kind support (such as lending of vehicles, joint hosting of events etc) as Toyota and the Red Cross work together to improve road safety in Europe.

This year, TMC will focus on the following topics:

1) Preventing accidents involving children running out into street

2) Traffic safety for the elderly

Specifically, TMC will donate 2.65 million traffic safety picture books to children entering kindergartens and nursery schools nationwide, as well as 47,000 traffic safety picture-story shows to kindergartens, nursery schools, libraries and children's facilities throughout the country. In addition, TMC has designed special leaflets to raise the awareness of both children and vehicle drivers regarding this year's campaign themes. These leaflets will be distributed via vehicle dealers, parts distributors and rental/lease dealers nationwide.

This year marks the 39th year that TMC has been involved in these activities, which began in 1969, and to date the company has donated a total of some 115.9 million picture books and around 1.15 million traffic safety picture-story shows.

Between May 1 and 7, posters will be displayed at JR Nagoya Station to broadly highlight the importance of traffic safety.

For more information, please contact Paul Nolasco/Tomomi Imai at (03) 3817-9161/9150

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that it plans to conduct public-road tests of vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems under a Driving Safety Support Systems (DSSS) verification program organized by the Universal Traffic Management Society of Japan (UTMS Japan) *¹. The tests, to take place from December*² in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, are being promoted by the Japanese National Police Agency and are to be conducted with the cooperation of the agency, the Aichi Prefectural Police and Toyota City.

TMC is conducting the tests as part of its efforts to develop—in addition to autonomous onboard safety devices—vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems that provide drivers traffic information by way of the roadside infrastructure and that are aimed at helping reduce traffic accidents through the use of the latest Intelligent Transport Systems technologies. Such cooperative systems enable collaboration not only between vehicles and the roadside infrastructure, but also among vehicles and between vehicles and pedestrians*³. This effort is in line with TMC's Integrated Safety Management Concept announced in August.

With an aim toward reducing the dangers associated with vehicle use and realizing vehicles that do not cause accidents, TMC hopes this effort will lead to the development of such systems as intervention-type, infrastructure-linked systems capable of not only providing information, but also warning drivers and slowing and/or stopping vehicles.

As a part of its efforts to realize sustainable mobility, TMC intends to strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future through the development of even safer vehicles and technologies, participation in the creation of a safe traffic environment and engagement in activities designed to educate people in traffic safety. By doing so, TMC intends to be able to contribute to the complete elimination of traffic casualties, which can be viewed as the ultimate hope of a society that values mobility.

*¹ UTMS Japan is engaged in the study and research and development of universal traffic management systems, such as DSSS. Universal traffic management systems provide traffic information to drivers in real time using infrared beacons that conduct two-way communications with individual vehicles they also aim to achieve safe, comfortable and environmentally considerate mobility by actively managing traffic flows.

*² UTMS Japan is scheduling a separate a test-drive demonstration from December 4 to 6 in Aichi Prefecture.

*³ Intelligent Transport Systems-based cooperative systems wirelessly receive information from communications infrastructure installed along the road and from other vehicles concerning, among others, traffic signs as well as objects that the driver cannot directly see. Such systems notify the driver of beyond-view traffic signs and/or objects to support safe driving and help prevent accidents. The New IT Reform Strategy announced in January 2006 by the Japanese government's IT Strategic Headquarters indicates polices such as conducting large-scale verification testing of DSSS on selected public roads by FY2008 through collaboration between the public and private sectors and deploying the systems throughout the country from the year starting April 2010, with a focus on sites where traffic accidents occur frequently.

Overview of TMC's Public-Road Tests

1. Test period/region and number of vehicles

Test period: December 4, 2006 to May 31, 2007 (approx. six months)

Test area: Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture

Number of vehicles: 100 vehicles equipped with drive recorders (50 of the 100 vehicles will have equipment to receive traffic control information from communications infrastructure)

2. Objectives of public-road tests

The tests, which will gather and analyze data on driver behavior under a variety of driving conditions, will be conducted to estimate the extent to which vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems can contribute to reducing traffic accidents. The focus will be on how the presence or absence of information on traffic signals (red lights) and stop signs transmitted by communications infrastructure affects the traffic-accident rates at intersections known to have a high rate of accidents. The results will be applied to the development of vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems and to ongoing research aimed at improving traffic environments.

3. Features of effect analysis

The public-road tests featuring vehicles equipped with drive recorders that record the view in front of the vehicles and driver behavior will allow for the gathering of detailed real-world data on changes in driver behavior under various driving and traffic conditions. The data will be analyzed and estimates will be made of the accident-reduction effects of the systems in pursuit of safety under actual driving conditions. This will also contribute to the development of safety technologies and systems, based on TMC's Integrated Safety Management Concept, aimed at creating vehicles that do not cause accidents.

4. Methods for transmitting and receiving road information

Communications equipment using infrared beacons will be installed at five intersections in Toyota City that have high accident rates to transmit information concerning traffic signals (red lights) and stop signs. In the participating vehicles, the information will be received by a special on-board navigation system and provided to the driver via a display screen.

5. Data analysis and verification categories

1) Estimating traffic-accident-reduction effects of information provision Estimates will be made of the traffic-accident-reduction effects of providing intersection information to drivers by gathering and analyzing data on driver behavior (such as deceleration before reaching intersections), based on the presence or absence of information concerning red lights and stop signs.

2) Verification of maintainability of traffic-accident-reduction effects To verify the maintainability of the expected traffic-accident-reduction effects, quantitative measures will be taken throughout the test period concerning how driver behavior is affected by driver habituation to the provision of information. Based on the hypothesis that "the provision of information alone will have declining accident-reduction effects", the results of the verification will be used in the development of systems that enhance traffic-accident-reduction effects and their maintainability through coordination with driver warnings and onboard vehicle control systems.

3) Analysis of driver behavior under a variety of conditions Drive recorders will be used to collect detailed data on driver behavior, immediate-vicinity traffic conditions, etc. in various situations, including "near miss"-type situations (such as sudden braking that does not result in an accident). Such data will be analyzed for use in the development of future systems and in the study of measures to improve the traffic environment.

Integrated Safety Management Concept

Toyota's safety technology and vehicle development aims to provide optimal driving support based on driving conditions, not only by integrating individual safety technologies and systems in the vehicle, but also by adopting vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems (road-to-vehicle) and using information obtained from vehicles other than the driver's (vehicle-to-vehicle), to enhance synergistic effects.

Higher levels of safety are being pursued in five types of situations categorized by the degree of risk of an accident: parking, active safety, pre-crash safety, passive safety and emergency response. By increasing such integration even further in the future, Toyota seeks to reduce dangers related to vehicle use in the pursuit of vehicles that do not cause accidents.

Future technologies of vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems 

In the future, it is envisioned that roadside sensors and vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems that link vehicles with other vehicles and vehicles with pedestrians (road-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication systems) will be introduced to try to prevent traffic accidents that are difficult to prevent using just vehicles' autonomous safety systems, particularly in cases in which information cannot be detected visually by drivers or by on-board sensors (such as information on other vehicles at intersections) or traffic regulation information (such as information on the cycle of traffic signals, "STOP" information, etc.)

As a signatory to the Charter, TME has agreed to undertake a series of initiatives both within the company and towards civil society as a whole to help improve road safety. In respect of the company, TME will:

o Implement training courses to instruct national sales companies' technicians on how best to promote active and passive safety across all brand products to customers.

o Introduce safety-related principles in its Code of Conduct requiring formal commitment by all direct employees.

In respect of civil society, and amongst other actions, TME will:

o Deliver TOP 25, a pan-European awareness campaign about the dangers of driving under the effect of alcohol and drugs.

o Support a model communication campaign being developed by the U.K.'s Royal College of Art to define and communicate road safety issues for older drivers and pedestrians.

o Deliver a road safety education programme for children and drivers in Turkey by distributing education kits, building a traffic park and establishing driving lessons through the active participation of Toyota retailers.

o Support the European Transport Safety Council's research and communication programme to assess EU Member States' road safety performance, and in addition promote high-level debates to kick-start discussion of key road safety themes in relevant Member States.

In 2005, Toyota supported the 2005 European Red Cross Road Safety Campaign ("Bringing European Road Safety Together"), which sought to contribute to a reduction in the number of people injured and killed in road traffic accidents by raising awareness of road safety and promoting first aid skills. In addition to its financial contribution, Toyota provided the four vehicles for use in the campaign's road safety tour of Europe.

More than 100 people attended the ceremony, including officials from the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, representatives from Toyota and course participants. In his speech to the attendees, TMC Executive Vice President Mitsuo Kinoshita said, "TDC courses allow participants to really get behind the wheel for a first-hand experience. We look forward to the event increasing—through the use of the safety tips taught—awareness of the importance of safe driving."

The event is being held in conjunction with the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau. With the cooperation of the bureau's traffic police department, TDC instructors from Japan will teach various safe driving skills from November 14 to 17 to a total of approximately 200 people from taxi companies, driving schools and Toyota dealers as well as others for which road safety is an important theme. The curriculum includes instruction in defensive driving, initial vehicle inspections, proper driving position, blind-spot awareness and emergency braking on dry and slippery road surfaces. Participants are using a total of 12 Camry Guangzhou-built sedans.

In 2004, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security began taking comprehensive measures to prevent traffic accidents in major cities throughout China, with an emphasis on teaching drivers safe driving techniques. TDC courses are recognized as being very effective with respect to initiatives regarding safe driving instruction and education, which the Chinese Ministry of Public Security is strongly emphasizing. As such, a similar TDC event was held in Beijing in October 2005.

Based on the conviction that promoting safe driving is part of its social responsibilities, TMC has been holding TDC courses in Japan since 1987, and has actively taken numerous measures to reduce accidents. In April 2005, TMC opened the TOYOTA Safety Education Center "mobilitas", a safe-driving training facility at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In China, Toyota also seeks to be a good corporate citizen and plans to contribute to in the fields of environmental conservation, traffic safety, and personnel development.

This year's autumn campaign's main themes are "promoting the use of rear-seat seatbelts", carried over from the spring campaign, and "traffic safety for the elderly", which aims to reduce traffic accidents involving the elderly and has become an issue in recent years.

Specifically, the campaign will involve the distribution of approximately 780,000 copies of an educational leaflet, created in line with the main themes, to customers purchasing new vehicles or related products. At dealer outlets TMC will also display educational posters produced by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) for its own traffic safety campaign.

For Reference

From September 26 to October 2, posters calling on people to wear rear-seat seatbelts will

Contact: Paul Nolasco/Tomomi Imai 03-3817-9161/9150

be displayed at JR Nagoya Station to strengthen traffic safety education activities.

Contact: Paul Nolasco/Tomomi Imai 03-3817-9161/9150

Toyota held the forum against a backdrop of growing vehicle safety awareness in China. For its presentations and technology exhibits at a local conference venue, Toyota used actual vehicles and other displays to introduce, among other initiatives, its advanced GOA (Global Outstanding Assessment) collision-safety body and a pedestrian-injury-lessening vehicle body structure. To demonstrate the high level of safety inherent in Toyota vehicles, Toyota performed live crash testing of the locally produced Reiz (pronounced as "rays") at the China Automotive Technology & Research Center (CATARC), also in Tianjin.

Reflecting on the increasing number of traffic accidents and causalities in China, TMC Senior Managing Director Tetsuo Hattori, head of Toyota's Vehicle Engineering Group, said at the forum, "Toyota feels it has a major social responsibility to carry out safety initiatives. On top of its commitment to providing safe vehicles in China, Toyota also seeks to contribute as much as possible to various traffic safety awareness activities, accident investigation and analysis using data from Japan and elsewhere and various joint research projects."

In addition to improving vehicle safety performance, Toyota has actively taken measures to reduce traffic accidents in China through such activities as offering safe-driving courses, which were held in Beijing last October. Seeking to be a good corporate citizen in China, Toyota hopes to contribute to Chinese society by placing an emphasis on environmental conservation, traffic safety and personnel development.

Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of transport matters, said: "I very much welcome the launch of this campaign on the First European Road Safety Day, and the European Commission is proud of being one of the campaign's sponsors. The objective of making our roads safer is one that we all share — and one where we can all make a contribution."

This campaign will focus specifically on:

&bull increasing European visibility for road safety issues

&bull collecting best practice tools for road safety and first aid and proactively sharing this throughout Europe

&bull encouraging individuals, communities, organisations and governments to improve road safety.

Between April 2007 and June 2008, National Red Cross Societies will deliver programmes to increase awareness, knowledge and respect of road safety rules and behaviours as well as to promote first aid amongst the general public.

The main outcome of the campaign will be the production of a road safety and first aid resource pack which will focus on 3 key themes:

&bull raising awareness (by involving the public, communication, media and PR)

&bull influencing behaviour (through formal/non-formal education for children aged 7-11)

&bull building community capacity - how to mobilise communities to take action to reduce road traffic accidents in their neighbourhoods.

The resource pack will provide the Red Cross, other road safety agencies and multipliers throughout Europe with tested materials in order to operate programmes that best tackle the issues in their country. The pack will be easily accessible and available for free on the campaign website www.1-life.info.

Over 57% of all road victims die in the first minutes after the crash, before the arrival of the emergency services. First aid is a cost-effective, safe and simple way to save lives in an emergency. In Europe the Red Cross, as a leading provider of first aid, endeavours to make first aid education compulsory at different stages of life and promote the road safety culture.