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Vehicle data recording

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by raspy, Jul 26, 2016.

  1. raspy

    raspy Senior Member

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    My friend who I took on a passenger ride in the Prius yesterday (he'd never been in a Gen 4) asked me what data the car captures, and who it is shared with, given how advanced it is.

    I was browsing the manual, and noticed this section;
    "The pre-crash safety system is equipped with a sophisticated computer
    that will record certain data, such as:
    • Accelerator status
    • Brake status
    • Vehicle speed
    • Operation status of the pre-crash safety system functions
    • Information (such as the distance and relative speed between your
    vehicle and the vehicle ahead or other objects)
    The pre-crash safety system does not record conversations, sounds
    or pictures.
    ● Data usage
    Toyota may use the data recorded in this computer to diagnose
    malfunctions, conduct research and development, and improve
    quality.
    Toyota will not disclose the recorded data to a third party except:
    • With the consent of the vehicle owner or with the consent of the
    lessee if the vehicle is leased
    • In response to an official request by the police, a court of law or a
    government agency
    • For use by Toyota in a lawsuit
    • For research purposes where the data is not tied to a specific
    vehicle or vehicle owner"

    This doesn't concern me, but I was wondering how many other Gen 4 owners have noticed the bit on vehicle data recording?
     
    #1 raspy, Jul 26, 2016
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  2. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Those recorders have been in modern vehicles for quite some time now, at least since the introduction of airbags. The amount of data recorded keeps increasing.

    Probably the biggest change on the Gen4 is the prominence of that legal disclosure and privacy notice.
     
    #2 fuzzy1, Jul 26, 2016
  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Needs one more clause:
    • By the person who paid for this car and has a right to the metrics for whatever purpose they want.
    Bob Wilson
     
    #3 bwilson4web, Jul 26, 2016
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  4. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    As far as I can recall, language like that was in my Gen2 manual, though the car had fewer sensors to record back then. It's probably been in each of the manuals or associated documentation for Gen2, Gen3, and Gen4. Can't speak for Gen1.
     
    #4 wrprice, Jul 26, 2016
  5. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    There was a story going around maybe 15 yrs ago about a newish high performance car which had a mechanical problem - so it went back to the dealer - and the manufacturer declined the warrantly claim. The computer record indicated that it had exceeded the redline on several occasions and that it had been ... raced. End of story for that owner who couldn't deny it.

    I was trying my Lane Departure Alert the other night - deserted 3 lane motorway, and wondered if the car recorded the alerts? It flashes on the screen an alert, but I can't detect that it does any Steering Control.
     
    #5 alanclarkeau, Jul 27, 2016
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It's been around (at least in North America) for nearly 15 years (maybe more?).

    It can be useful for collision claim where the other party is committing fraud. (They claim you ran the stop sign but the black box in their car showed they accelerated rather than braked, for example). Volvo uses it to improve the safety of their vehicle. There was a brochure I picked up for one of their vehicles a few years back and near the end of the brochure, there was a page on how Volvo sends their technicians to any collision in involving a Volvo vehicle in Sweden so that they can assess the vehicle damage, cause of the collision and so forth to help improve their vehicle safety.

    The new part is the PCS section that records vehicle distance and relative speed. That'll play a part in collisions where the person behind was tailgating. In most places, the person behind is usually at fault unless proven that the person in front intentionally braked (called "Brake Check" in NA slang) and caused the collision.

    There will be a flashing yellow icon in the shape of a steering wheel when Steering Assist is activated. It can be quite subtle but there was this one time I was going around a gentle bend and suddenly I felt the steering wheel tug and the icon was flashing. SA was steering the car around the bend lol. It was gentle enough that it required very little input in the steering wheel but I guess LDW w/ SA thought it was needed. There was no LDW alert. After that, I tested it a few times on other bends and once on a straight section. It seems more active around corners (gentle highway bends, not 90° corners) and no LDW alert since it assists prior to you approaching the line. On the straight sections, LDW will sound along with SA's flashing icon as there's more leeway (probably to minimize false alarms, especially if you're moving to one side of the lane to avoid an object on the road)
     
    #6 Tideland Prius, Jul 27, 2016
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  7. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    It was dead straight when I tried it - I'll try it again.
     
    #7 alanclarkeau, Jul 27, 2016
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Again, it isn't always obvious. But when it steers, it does feel like an invisible hand nudging you the other way. You feel the steering wheel motor resistance increase.
     
    #8 Tideland Prius, Jul 27, 2016
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  9. jbkendrick

    jbkendrick Active Member

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    I've only experienced the assist after I hit and perhaps move past the line slightly, then it assists in pulling be back, however, that assist will be more than needed on a straightaway and sends me toward the line on the right and after hitting it will send me back. You will definitely be weaving at this point, and the mid will eventually ask if you need a rest. I believe it is meant as a safety mechanism to assist you when you aren't paying sufficient attention, and not to assist you in driving the car, ala tesla autopilot. J
     
    #9 jbkendrick, Jul 27, 2016
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  10. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yes, you're right. It does send you the other way towards the other side of the lane. The LKA (Lane Keep Assist) on the Gen 3 was an active system so it actually did keep you centred in the lane and will drive around the highway bends. However, I think the feedback given in focus groups or surveys had people disliking LKA because it felt like someone's constantly tugging at the steering wheel. Perhaps the LKA was a bit too aggressive in keeping the car centred? I don't know since LKA wasn't offered in Canada (just PCS and DRCC).

    Maybe this is why Toyota went with LDW w/ Steering Assist - it's a lower cost version and it's passive and less intrusive.
     
    #10 Tideland Prius, Jul 28, 2016
  11. raspy

    raspy Senior Member

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    Yeah, I've been trying it on empty stretches of road, and it's less forceful than I imagined. It doesn't always do a great job of steering you back into the lane. Mostly, it's the audible alert and the visual warning on the dash that is more useful for me.
     
    #11 raspy, Jul 28, 2016
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