Toyota Pre-Crash Safety Upgraded with Radar, Pre-Crash Seatbacks

Japanese car manufacturer Toyota recently announced it has added two new systems to its Pre-crash Safety package, namely a radar system to detect front-side collisions and electronically-controlled rear seats to prepare passenger for front and rear impacts. Toyota says these "world-first technologies" will be introduced in Japan in the next few months.

While we're not sure such a system is actually a world-first (check out Mercedes' Pre-Safe technology), it is indeed a very advanced function that could help reduce the number of fatalities.

In essence, the new Front-Side Pre-crash Safety System uses front diagonally-projected radars to detect if a vehicle or an object crosses the vehicle path. The system then initiates four different functions, as it follows: collision warning - the driver receives both visual and audio notifications about a potential impact, pre-crash brake assist - the system applies additional braking force to reduce collision speed, pre-crash seatbelts - electrically-powered seatbelts retract to prepare passengers for impacts and side-airbag control - the side airbags are prepared for deployment.

In addition, the Pre-crash Seatbacks uses information received from the sensors installed outside the car to detect a potential collision. The seatback are automatically adjusted to the proper position while the seatbelts are retracted to prepare occupants for impact.

"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," the manufacturer explained.

"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," Toyota said in a statement for the press.