According to the report of the Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP) released on 27 May 2020, Toyota’s luxury people mover Alphard/Vellfire passed the JNCAP crash testing by gaining ASV+++ (Advanced Safety Vehicle), which is the highest rating available in preventive safety performance.[1] And it is the second consecutive year for Alphard/Vellfire to receive the Grand Prix Award as well.
As one of the most famous Japanese automakers, Toyota never forgets its ultimate goal of zero traffic fatalities when developing vehicles and established Integrated Safety Manag
ement Concept to reducing traffic accidents. Building on past experiments and continuing efforts, Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) was designed to help protect drivers, passengers, people in other vehicles on the road, pedestrians, and cyclists from harm. And it’s also the key to Alphard/Vellfire’s winning in JNCAP’s tests.
TSS 2.0 is considered the newest advanced activity safety package of Toyota. It consists of six active safety and driver assistance systems:
Pre-Collision System, Full-Speed Range or Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, Automatic High Beams, Road Sign Assist, and Lane Tracing Assist.[2]
PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM (PCS)
“PCS uses an integrated forward camera and grille-mounted radar system designed to help mitigate or avoid a frontal collision.”[3]
When a frontal collision is determined by PCS, the system will use audio and visual alerts to prompt the driver to take action. PCS may provide additional braking force if the driver brakes. For the TSS 2.0, PCS was designed with low-light detection for pedestrians and daytime detection of bicycles.
FULL-SPEED RANGE DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL (DRCC) or
DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL (DRCC)
“DRCC is a high-tech cruise control system that uses a front-grille-mounted radar and a forward-facing camera to detect vehicles in front of you and automatically adjust the vehicle’s speed to help maintain a pre-set distance behind a vehicle ahead.”[4] With the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control system, DRCC could automatically slow the vehicle and accelerate back to your set speed when the front vehicle changes speed.
LANE DEPARTURE ALERT (LDA)
“LDA is designed to use the forward-facing camera to detect lane departure when traveling on a relatively straight road with clear land markings, road edges, or curbs.”[5] When LDA determines the vehicle is unintentionally deviating from this lane, the system will alert the driver with an audio and visual alert. For TSS2.0, LDA has been updated with the Road Edge Detection function, which means the system may detect the boundary between the road surface and the side of the road.
AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAMS (AHB)
AHB is designed to help the driver see more clearly at night by reducing glare for other drivers. By using the in-vehicle camera, AHB could detect the headlights of oncoming-vehicles and toggle between high and low beams automatically.
ROAD SIGN ASSIST (RSA)
“RSA is designed to read certain traffic signs and display them on the vehicle’s Multi-Information Display.”[6] This system can read speed limit, stop, yield, and do not enter signs, however not every sign in different counties could be recognized properly. From our experience, the most signs that could be read by RSA is the speed limit signs in Australia.
LANE TACING ASSIST (LTA)
Working with DRCC, LTA is designed to help to keep the vehicle cantering in its lane. It is designed to automatically make constant steering inputs to avoid unintended lane departures.
This is an overview of TTS. For more information about TTS and TTS 2.0, please go to the TOYOTA website or contact LZ Motors.
[1] 2019 JNCAP Assessment on Toyota Vehicles Announced (May 27, 2020) from https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/32665613.html
[2] Next-generation Safety (Aug 2018) from https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/CFA_TSS_2.pdf
[3] Next-generation Safety (Aug 2018) from https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/CFA_TSS_2.pdf
[4] Next-generation Safety (Aug 2018) from https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/CFA_TSS_2.pdf
[5] Next-generation Safety (Aug 2018) from https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/CFA_TSS_2.pdf
[6] Next-generation Safety (Aug 2018) from https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/CFA_TSS_2.pdf