Vehicle proximity notification system

The blind and the functionally blind... EG: those walking while texting. Like the famous lady that walked into the coy pond at the mall while doing so.

Note: I would like to make mine sound like a car at idle or at low speeds. The spaceship sound isn't going to deter anyone from walking into the side of my car!

 

I just found out my 2017 Prime Premium is equipped with Vehicle Proximity Notification System (VPNS). But, I have never heard the warning sound out of my car in past 1 year+. What triggers the warning sound?

 

Usually?

STUPID.
...on either side of the windshield.

My goal would be to pray daily that you get to sell the car in 15 years, and not know what the warning chime sounds like.....

 

I checked sound of VPNS on Prius on YouTube videos, but I swear, I have not heard the sound similar to those in videos out of my car. Am I getting presbycusis? I am gonna have to ask my wife to drive the car in front of me <15mph.

 

Just remember what it's activated by!!


Good Luck!

 

Do you mean there is something other than slow speed EV drive (ICE off) that triggers the warning? The manual mentions about VPNS only once. This is all I can find on page 85 of my 2017 PRIME owner's manual.

 

No.
I'm sorry.
I got lost in the alphabet-soup of acronyms and got the low-speed-growly device confused with the one that slams on brakes to keep you from squishing somebody's kid.

My apologies.
Coffee being applied to the patient.

Nothing to see here......

 

You mean the Blind Spot Monitor system? I don't have that in my car, so it's OK if I have never heard of the warning sound for over a year.

 

I couldn't hear it either for the first week I owned my Prime.
One poster suggested rolling down the window and listening when pulling into
the garage in EV mode. I then heard it. I can not hear it with windows up.
I likened it to a muted sound of a locust/cicada if you have those in your neck of the
woods.

 

i think there is a user adjustable volume setting on gen 4.

 

Recently traded in/up from a 2018 Prime to a '21 and the VPNS is noticeably louder. Maybe I'm wrong, but I seem to recall that this was a dealer-modifiable setting in the 2018. Does anyone know if it can be lowered (not turned off...) in the '21?

Thanks!

 

It is no longer listed as "customizable" on 2021 PP manual. It was "customizable" up to 2020 PP models. The VPNS is now mandated by law, and maybe Toyota yanked the option for the legal reason?

 

Thanks. I did a bit more searching here in the forum and essentially concluded the same thing. I figured as much when I didn't see it listed that way in the manual.

 

It is much louder and also stays on until ~25 mph instead of 15. People still walk in front of me all the time. The only time I've seen oblivious pedestrians get out of the way was back in high school when a friend had a '69 Camaro SS with a six-pack and Flowmasters. You could hear him start his car from 5 blocks away. Just after he got it he was showing me how well it accelerated, and when he punched the gas there were people on the sidewalk ahead that literally jumped off the sidewalk and took a few steps onto the lawn. How do I get my VPNS to sound like that?

 

Yea but I bet he didn’t get 68 mpg either.

 

More like 6.8 The engine loped so hard sometimes you'd have to get out and re-torque the intake manifold. Why no Loktite? Who knows. Good times.

 

First, I won’t disable mine and am happy to have the added safety. Quiet ICE cars should have it too though. I do wish it was not as loud and shut off at 15mph rather than 25mph.

On the 2021 I find the noise loud (and as mentioned there is no way to adjust it). I sometimes intentionally drive over 25mph to get it to shut it up,in situations I might otherwise stay under 25 longer (slower acceleration, etc). This is with the windows rolled up too. I am not looking forward to stop and go traffic.. slow rural back roads, and residential areas, are bad enough.

 

The Nissan Leaf is even worse in this regard. The sound is so loud that you can hear it echoing off of houses as you drive down the street. When I would pull into our driveway it would wake my daughter in her room above the garage. It had the same effect on me. I found myself accelerating to higher speeds to avoid the noise, which seems like an unintended side effect. I bet you $1 we'll never see a follow-up study on whether the VPNS systems have affected vehicle vs. pedestrian incidents in any statistically significant way.

 

Then there's always what you mother told you (if she loved you that is):
"Look both ways before you cross the street" (Driveway, parking lot, etc)

Stepping out on front of a blind drive is an invitation to have a pedestrian/vehicle encounter.

Between plain old laziness, complacency, and expecting others to watch out for us - there's the added distraction of people walking while texting, jogging with earbuds, and people who don't have their head in the game - there will always be accidents - and people (with lawyers) looking to blame someone else.

Our 2017 doesn't (appear) to have any kind of noisemaker on it, but even those that do will still occasionally hit people.

Will be interesting to read about the upcoming case where an electric car with an 85dB warning sound hits a pedestrian wearing earbuds putting out 100dB.......

 

unfortunately 2021 PP is very loud, especially if you stuck in slow traffic, it is super annoying....