Toyota’s Cabin Awareness Technology That Can Save Many from Dying in Hot Cars
There are several Toyota tech projects underway, but their safety-related ones are always the most intriguing. The reason for this is that safer cars can reduce the number of road traffic accidents per annum. One of the most overlooked aspects of vehicle safety is when someone is left in a hot car by accident.
This is always due to negligence and the victims can be anyone from kids to pets waiting in a hot car in the parking lot, waiting for their guardian to return. Unfortunately, there are dozens of deaths due to these instances of neglect. But Toyota is testing a solution for the problem known as Cabin Awareness.
Like most of their other technologies, this one looks to be a gamechanger as well.
Toyota’s New Technology
Toyota announced this new technology on May 31st, 2022. With this, it has the intention of reducing the number of heatstroke deaths in parked cars. This is a new concept that is being tested out. The setup will work by detecting the occupants left behind in the parked car and then alerting the driver about them. How does it work though?
Well, it will use a gadget known as a 4-dimensional imaging radar. This is a super precise piece of equipment that is equipped with a very high resolution. This will observe and be able to detect even the slightest movements in the car. So, it should be able to detect some types of pets as well.
Its accuracy is quite important since it needs to distinguish between living and non-living things so that it gives you the right alerts. From postures to positions, it will be keeping a watchful eye on everything going on inside your car. It overshadows tech like weight sensors. But it’s not just ideal for you very own private vehicle.
This feature will be quite useful on public transportation services as well. Take a bus for example, it is a long vehicle and the driver may not be aware of who’s sleeping on the seats out back. This system on the other hand will alert him if he gets to the bus depot. So, when could we see this feature in action then?
Well, Toyota is currently testing this concept out. They’re doing this in two versions of their Sienna; the first is the regular Sienna minivan and the second is the May Mobility Sienna AutonoMaaS shuttle. The setup should make autonomous shuttles and public transport a lot safer since there won’t be any drivers to check for sleeping passengers.
Toyota certainly knows how to innovate and research spectacularly. At the same time, they’re great for producing inexpensive and genuine parts, that are easily available. For genuine Toyota parts supply check out https://sts-global.com/toyota-parts.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what this feature is fighting against.
Getting Stuck in A Hot Car
Entering a hot parked car in the summer heat is a stuff of nightmares. All of the heat from the sun is concentrated in the vehicle’s interior. As a result, everything in the car from its upholstery to its harder components feels like its burning. Now, just imagine someone being locked inside a car like that.
What causes you to die in a hot car?
You die of heatstroke, of course. When stuck inside a car, the occupant(s) will face the wrath of the quickly heating cabin. This is something that not even tints can save you from if the time taken is more. It is worth noting that children and some pets are firmly fastened to their child seats. As a result, they’re not able to move to a darker spot.
How quickly can you die in a hot car?
Well, kids can barely last for two hours, being stuck in hot cars. The reason is that their bodies haven’t really developed a proper cooling system at that stage. The result is that a kid’s body will heat up to five times faster than an adult. Not to mention that adults have a higher tendency for endurance along with their better cooling system.
Pets on the other hand are even more vulnerable. Many owners try to set things right by opening one of the windows of the car. However, even this doesn’t work because the rate of change of temperature can increase to about 20 degrees in just ten minutes.
How many people die in a hot car?
There are many numbers out there but we’ll just look at the USA. About 38 people pass away from heat strokes in the country, every year. This is exactly why the tech is so important.