New and smart Toyota Integrated Safety Technology Systems have been revealed, which the company says will begin to roll out from 2015, together with advanced active safety packages for new models.

The new features, announced at a safety seminar in Toyota City, Japan, include Safety Sense active safety packages, “tailored to suit different size vehicles that will be made available worldwide by the end of 2017”, with the aim of preventing or mitigating collisions.

Vehicle-infrastructure and vehicle-vehicle communications

The company says it has developed a system to help eliminate the risk with new vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-vehicle communications, using a wireless frequency reserved for Integrated Traffic System (ITS) services.

For example, when you arrive at junction with no clear view, sensors above the road will detect oncoming traffic or pedestrians crossing the road and send the information to your car, which is what Toyota calls the vehicle-to-infrastructure system.

According to Toyota: “Vehicles approaching the intersection will signal their presence using the vehicle-to-vehicle link, activating visual and audio warnings when necessary to help prevent an accident.”

Toyota has also developed a new Communicating Radar Cruise Control that uses vehicle-to-vehicle communication to make it easier for preceding and following vehicles to keep a safe distance apart. It works with a forward-facing millimetre-wave radar which monitors the distance between the vehicles ahead and behind, their approximate speed and the acceleration/deceleration of the car in front.

LED Array Adaptive High Beam

Besides these safety systems, Toyota also confirmed they are developing LED Array Adaptive High Beam headlights. This system uses multiple independently controlled LEDs arranged in a single row to create “wider illumination without dazzling drivers of oncoming or preceding vehicles.” In addition, it can light up the gaps between cars ahead and those approaching.

Toyota active safety technology systems packages

Furthermore, in 2015, Toyota is set to launch a range of new active safety technology systems designed to help prevent or mitigate collisions. There will be two Safety Sense packages that will be launched, firstly in Japan and subsequently in the USA and Europe by the end of 2017.

The two packages will comprise of C and P for mid-size and larger vehicles respectively, and will use a number of Toyota’s existing active safety technologies, including its pre-crash safety system, lane keep assist and auto high beam. The C package uses a laser radar and the P package a millimetre-wave radar, each combined with a camera to secure high performance and reliability.

Lastly there will be a separate active safety package called Lexus Safety System+, which will include the new Road Sign Assist function, which recognises speed limits and road signs when traveling overseas, presenting the information on the driver’s instrument display.

Toyota safety technology systems overview video