Toyota’s intelligent clearance sonar tech reduces parking accidents

Toyota Motor Corporation, through a recent survey, has announced the “accidental reduction effects” of the intelligent clearance sonar (ICS) system. With this, Toyota claims a significant reduce in pedal misapplication and vehicle reversing accidents in parking spaces.

The survey was conducted in Toyota City, Japan, which focused more on accidents involving parking lots through 3 of Toyota’s car models: the Alphard, Vellfire, and the Prius. In addition, the study ran for about 18 months prior to January of 2015.

All 3 vehicles are said to be equipped with the ICS system, a feature which helps minimize the risk of collision damage through the help of sonar sensors, as well as an automatic braking system that will prevent the car from a possible bump. Out of 63,000 vehicles subjected to the survey, 26,000 of which were equipped with ICS.

As a result, survey findings show that there was a decrease of 70% in pedal misapplication accidents, while vehicle reversing collisions dropped by nearly 40%. The data was based on the roughly 2,500 accidents from insurance companies that cover the policies of 60,000 units of Prius, Alphard, and Vellfire, collectively.

As reference, the ICS uses clearance sonar, which can detect obstacles during sudden take off caused by pedal misapplication. All 3 vehicles mentioned above have been equipped with additional sensors and enhanced detection range.