Toyota wants to remove 'off' button for safety features
Toyota is thinking about removing the "off" button for key safety features in its cars, aiming for a future with zero traffic accidents.
Akihiro Sarada, who leads Toyota's software team, says this.
Separately, a study showed most drivers turn these systems off because they find them "annoying, distracting and too sensitive."
A study shows 69% of drivers turn off these features
Right now, drivers can manually turn safety features on or off in Toyotas.
But a massive AAMI Crash-Index study found 69% of drivers actually do this—mainly because the alerts bug them or feel over-the-top.
So there's a real tug-of-war between wanting safer roads and just wanting more control behind the wheel.
Meanwhile, Toyota's Safety Sense 3.0 will be standard in many cars
Even with some pushback, Toyota isn't slowing down on safety.
The Camry, Prius, GR Corolla and Corolla Cross will come standard with Safety Sense 3.0 (think: Proactive Driving Assist, up to 10 airbags).
And the new RAV4 will introduce Toyota's Arene software platform.