Hey Everyone,
I've just finished my first week of ownership and thought I would share some comments on the Driver Assistance features . These are features I was very curious about, but was really not sure what to expect. Reading up on reviews on Safety Sense 3.0 Traffic Jam Assist you will read wildly diverging comments ranging from "it drives itself" to "its total #$@# turn that $%@ off". I thought I might share a few observation/impressions having seen the systems in action first hand.
1. I think a great deal of negative commentary is a general lack of understanding the technology that drives these systems and the limitations of it. It's not a magic or omniscient system that can see forever or in every direction. It's limited by what a single forward facing radar sensor and single forward facing camera can see. It doesn't utilize premapped roads files like a Bluecruise or Supercruise and I don't think it uses GPS either. That all being said when being utilized for its stated use cases (Ex long open high speed well marked highway or low speed traffic jams) it's bloody good!
If you are using it in fast moving heavy traffic, on a poorly marked or sharply winding road or other conditions beyond what the manual states it can handle, you will be disappointed. However, give it a chance to do its thing in a low speed traffic jam under 25 mph or a gently curving open well marked highway well up to well beyond the speed limit and the system functions exactly as the manual says it should. Bottom line, it functions just as advertised.
2. The active driver monitoring often derided as "the nanny" nagging you to keep the eyes forward and hands on the wheel is absolutely necessary for the active modes to work safely. I don't fault Toyota for including them at all. Lane markers can suddenly disappear or be obstructed by something that will instantly cause the camera to break lock and you need to instantly be ready to take over. The same is true for other drivers being monitored by the radar. Those drives can and will do completely unpredictable things. Within its line of sight, the system will react faster than you can, but you need to extend that line of sight beyond the sensors and be ready to take over and help the system if something unexpected happens. My one gripe is driving into a west setting sun with glasses on, the system seems to lose lock on my eyes and issues an alert. It only happens with my clear prescription glasses. Wearing contacts with or without sunglasses it seems to have no problem. I suspect it might have something to do with with anti-blue light coating on my prescription lenses.
3. I think there are quite a few of folks that have simply not read the manual on how to operate the systems before passing judgment on these systems. Now having spent time with it, I can say for certain the complaints of it "fighting me wanting to change lanes" or "wandering/ ping ponging from one side of the lane to the other" and others are 100% user error. The fighting you changing lanes means you forgot to activate your turn signal. The button combinations/confirmations to activate the various modes are complex and if you are not paying attention you will end up in the wrong mode. For example if you stop steering and the car drifts then ping pongs from one side of the lane to the other , that is called lane departure mode and not lane tracing mode.
I think the complexity was a deliberate design choice. Toyota really wants you paying attention to what you are doing . They don't want you accidently pressing a button and activated any of the active modes. They want this to be a deliberate multi-step confirmation process to make sure the driver is fully engaged in the driving process. That is why they are calling it drive assistance and not something else.
I've just finished my first week of ownership and thought I would share some comments on the Driver Assistance features . These are features I was very curious about, but was really not sure what to expect. Reading up on reviews on Safety Sense 3.0 Traffic Jam Assist you will read wildly diverging comments ranging from "it drives itself" to "its total #$@# turn that $%@ off". I thought I might share a few observation/impressions having seen the systems in action first hand.
1. I think a great deal of negative commentary is a general lack of understanding the technology that drives these systems and the limitations of it. It's not a magic or omniscient system that can see forever or in every direction. It's limited by what a single forward facing radar sensor and single forward facing camera can see. It doesn't utilize premapped roads files like a Bluecruise or Supercruise and I don't think it uses GPS either. That all being said when being utilized for its stated use cases (Ex long open high speed well marked highway or low speed traffic jams) it's bloody good!
If you are using it in fast moving heavy traffic, on a poorly marked or sharply winding road or other conditions beyond what the manual states it can handle, you will be disappointed. However, give it a chance to do its thing in a low speed traffic jam under 25 mph or a gently curving open well marked highway well up to well beyond the speed limit and the system functions exactly as the manual says it should. Bottom line, it functions just as advertised.
2. The active driver monitoring often derided as "the nanny" nagging you to keep the eyes forward and hands on the wheel is absolutely necessary for the active modes to work safely. I don't fault Toyota for including them at all. Lane markers can suddenly disappear or be obstructed by something that will instantly cause the camera to break lock and you need to instantly be ready to take over. The same is true for other drivers being monitored by the radar. Those drives can and will do completely unpredictable things. Within its line of sight, the system will react faster than you can, but you need to extend that line of sight beyond the sensors and be ready to take over and help the system if something unexpected happens. My one gripe is driving into a west setting sun with glasses on, the system seems to lose lock on my eyes and issues an alert. It only happens with my clear prescription glasses. Wearing contacts with or without sunglasses it seems to have no problem. I suspect it might have something to do with with anti-blue light coating on my prescription lenses.
3. I think there are quite a few of folks that have simply not read the manual on how to operate the systems before passing judgment on these systems. Now having spent time with it, I can say for certain the complaints of it "fighting me wanting to change lanes" or "wandering/ ping ponging from one side of the lane to the other" and others are 100% user error. The fighting you changing lanes means you forgot to activate your turn signal. The button combinations/confirmations to activate the various modes are complex and if you are not paying attention you will end up in the wrong mode. For example if you stop steering and the car drifts then ping pongs from one side of the lane to the other , that is called lane departure mode and not lane tracing mode.
I think the complexity was a deliberate design choice. Toyota really wants you paying attention to what you are doing . They don't want you accidently pressing a button and activated any of the active modes. They want this to be a deliberate multi-step confirmation process to make sure the driver is fully engaged in the driving process. That is why they are calling it drive assistance and not something else.
