Toyota, Microsoft Team Up for Driver Distraction Study

There’s no denying that driver distraction is among the leading causes of vehicular accidents throughout the world. This is why Microsoft Corp. and Toyota have partnered up on a project that will minimize distracted driving. The technology they are developing to target the reduction of incidents of distracted driving, is by delivering useful information to car drivers prior to getting behind a wheel.

The car of choice, a Toyota Sienna minivan, serves as the Driver Awareness Research vehicle; and serves as the host of newly developed technologies by Microsoft. By producing this information, the driver gets to reduce his risk for distracted driving related accidents.

As the driver approaches the car, he is given an automatic display information on his car’s side window. This is achieved through a series of voice commands, gesture control, and the car’s key fob. The result is a technology system that gives its drivers access to nearby gas station locations, weather and traffic updates, and even their daily schedules; before he even sets foot inside the vehicle. With this, the driver no longer has time to search for such information. He can just focus on what lies on the road before him.

Apart from this specific technology, Toyota is still working with a couple of academic groups to further enhance the Driver Assistance feature. What do you think of the video? Let us know and keep up with our Toyota of Killeen blog for further updates.