Toyota/Lexus Full Speed Ahead on Automatic Emergency Braking

By adpock - March 21, 2016

Toyota-Safety-Sense

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced a target to make automatic emergency braking (AEB) the industry standard by the year 2022. Toyota and Lexus are apparently eager to get started though, so they’ll include the life-saving technology on nearly every U.S. model by the end of next year.

Announced today at the New York Auto Show, Toyota and Lexus will make standard their already-available basic safety package options in 25 of 30 models by the end of 2017. The models that won’t be fitted with the standard safety systems are the Lexus GX, Toyota Mirai, 4Runner, and 86, and Scion iA. However both the Mirai and iA already come standard with AEB.

The main components of each safety system will revolve around the Pre-Collision, Lane Departure Alert, and Automatic High Beams technology. According to the press release:

“Already available as a low-cost option on a broad range of Lexus and Toyota vehicles, Lexus Safety System+™ and Toyota Safety Sense™ are designed to help address three key areas of driver assistance: preventing or mitigating frontal collisions – including pedestrians; helping keep drivers within their lane; and enhancing road safety during nighttime driving.”

This technology has already proven itself to be life-saving and game-changing, which is why the NHTSA and IIHS are so keen on making it standard fare. It looks like Toyota and Lexus are just a little more keen than the rest of the field though.