Toyota: Cars will be safer, but still need drivers

Summary:

Toyota: Cars will be safer, but still need drivers, The Economic Times, September 5, 2014. The article was about Toyota’s plan in having a collision-prevention technology installed to its line-up in US. The motivation of this plan is to help reducing crash as well as car accidents by allow cars to steel themselves sufficiently to stay in the center of the lane. Moreover, their cars will also have a camera to monitor the driver’s eyes and ensure their hands are on the steering wheel all the time. This camera will give a warning immediately if it recognizes the driver’s eyes stare off the road or their hands don’t hold on the wheel. As opposed to other car makers which only install this technology on high and expensive models, Toyota company claims to have that technology installed on both mainstream and luxury line. The article also stated that the company aims to not develop driverless car and its products still need human interaction on situations that can’t be analyzed and handle well by computers. One other supporting reason is because of technology limitations and legal issues. The company plans to put the collision-prevention to all its models in US in 2017. Even though the details of this system will be release soon, they already have this technology as an option when the clients buy the Lexus or six other Toyota models. 

Toyota has said that it prefers to focus on safety and will not be working on driverless vehicles

   Opinion:

In my opinion, I think with this approach Toyota will even increase its car sales further. Obviously, that technology will help decreasing number of car accidents every year as well as improving the ability to handle car driving for senior people. According to an article which is written by Bergeron and Clifford, most of the accident nowadays are from the driver‘s negligence, such as chatting or texting while driving. There was around 78 lives were claimed due to texting while driving (Texting and Driving Car Accidents in Ontario, n.d.). So with the help of the camera, any time the drivers do not focus, it will set out a warning which obligates the drivers to concentrate on the road again. Moreover, senior people are seemed to have difficulty to drive in high way due to their weaken senses and reaction. But soon they will not have to afraid anymore since the availability of this technology. They can drive easier and don’t have to find alternative routes while avoiding high way. One other factor contributes to their approachable and reasonable plan is they don’t aims to make fully autonomous cars but still need human interaction instead and the technology is available on both luxury and mainstream models. It not only be easily and widely accepted by their old clients but also will make the company cars obtainable by people in different classes. According to an article “Urban Jungle a Tough Challenge for Google’s Autonomous Cars”, it states that there was a survey and more than half of people said that 2030 is the earliest year that such a car can handle such situations like understanding someone waiving his hands on the other side or roads with construction zone, while roughly one in 10 said that they would never ever have such a car like that (Gomes) 2014). This means people tend to have their control over car rather than leaving it drives by itself.

Ford's pedestrian detection system steers cars away from collisions

Question:

1. Do you think that Toyota will change their plans in the future ?

2. Do you think that this new technology will be efficient in helping decrease car accidents ?

3. Will Toyota automobiles be more expensive after the installation of the collision - prevention ?

Reference:

Gomes, L. (2014, July 24). Urban Jungle a Tough Challenge for Google’s Autonomous Cars. Technology Review. Retrieved from http://www.technologyreview.com/news/529466/urban-jungle-a-tough-challenge-for-googles-autonomous-cars/.

Texting and Driving Car Accidents in Ontario. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bergeronclifford.com /texting-driving-car-accidents-ontario/.

Toyota: Cars will be safer, but still need drivers. (2014, September 5). The Economic Times. Retrieved from http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-09-05/news/53601727_1_toyota-executives-safety-systems-driverless-car

Photo 1 retrieved from http://www.toyotaofnorthcharlotte.com/research/defensive-driving-safety-tips.htm

Photo 2 retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/driveon/2013/10/08/ford-driverless-car-parking/2941361/