Toyota T-Mate safety tech aims to make driving easier, safer    

Apart from design, features, and powertrain innovations, carmakers are also working to make their cars safer for customers. Toyota is no different, as it recently announced a new name for its suite of safety and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). 

Toyota is putting greater emphasis on safer cars with the launch of T-Mate 

The Japanese automaker launched Toyota T-Mate, which it says will now be used to market its accident-avoidance features that will benefit drivers, passengers, and other road users. This combines Toyota Safety Sense, currently in use on the brand’s global offerings, with other active and parking assistance technologies. 

According to the company, the move was spurred by ongoing research into improving road safety. Sensors, cameras, and radar systems are being adopted on a wider scale to monitor vehicle performance and surrounding traffic conditions. These are especially beneficial in urban driving environments, where the system warns drivers of potential hazards and takes over control of the vehicle when necessary.  

A system of cameras and sensors alert drivers to surrounding dangers

The debut of Toyota T-Mate coincides with the latest version of Toyota Safety Sense, which builds on current features by bringing enhancements. For instance, the Toyota Pre-Collision System now includes Acceleration Suppression at low speeds and Intersection Cut-in Traffic Assist. Oncoming Traffic Detection and Intersection Turn Assist have also been added. 

Another new technology is Toyota Teammate Advanced Park. The system controls acceleration, steering, braking, and gear shifts (automatic transmission models only) to help drivers park safely. As an intelligent feature, it can even store and memorize the driver’s preferred parking spaces, even in the absence of line markers or adjacent objects. 

Toyota Advanced Teammate Park can also memorize a driver's favorite parking spot

Perhaps the biggest benefit that Toyota T-Mate suite brings is that it is readily upgradable through over-the-air (OTA) updates, retaining current functionality while introducing new capabilities over the life of the vehicle. 

Toyota says that T-Mate is a new way for the company to communicate the real-world benefits of ADAS, with the industry’s increasing emphasis on autonomous driving technology. The company adds that Toyota T-Mate packages will differ depending on available features for individual trim levels, models, and even markets. 

Keep up with the latest automotive tech trends at Philkotse.com.