Toyota is developing vehicle safety systems that focus on protecting older drivers and pedestrians, writes Trish Whelan.
This is in response to Japanese road accident statistics which show that more than half of road traffic deaths are of people aged 65 and over, and that pedestrians now account for more fatalities than vehicle occupants.
Among the systems is an Adaptive Driving Beam which can prevent glare in the faces of oncoming drivers while maintaining near-high beam lighting of the road. A pop-up bonnet to reduce pedestrian head injuries is also in the programme.
The company is also developing a technology that detects driver health problems, like a heart attack, by monitoring grip on the steering wheel, and has recently presented details of this concept to the Japan Medical Congress.
