LDA (Lane Departure Alert)

On a side note: I find the TSS2.0 LKA/LTA with active steering annoying. The steering wheel "wiggles" instead of keeping straight in the middle and not following "exactly" what the lane markings are. I end up turning it off... I drove a Mazda rental a few months ago and it was a pleasure. The one from Toyota, an annoyance.

 

My LDA put a message on the display, "Please stop in 400 feet let me out, you maniac!"

Seriously, though, mine also seems to work better when driving over 45 mph and I can notice no difference between the sensitivities. At lower speeds, it does tend to do "military driving" (Left-Right-Left-Right).

The most unnerving thing it does is on 2-lane roads and I have oncoming traffic and just before meeting the oncoming vehicle it tries steering to the left....HEY STOP THAT!

Looking at the screen, I don't think it's just looking at paint because I have some places (new road) where they haven't painted the right side, yet, but it still sees something and puts it on the screen.

Another strange behavior is it does alert me when I don't have both hands on the wheel but only sometimes...not even sure how it can know that.

I've read that future versions will also have the same technology the military uses with the eye detection. When a military pilot passes out (usually due to over-G's) the system detects the eyes not looking and will sound a LOUD alarm to wake them up before they crash. I've read Toyota is working on using this to alarm drivers who are not looking out their windshield. (Fell asleep, passed out, looking down at their stupid cell phone, etc.) This is a great idea. I've seen numerous drivers who drift because of looking at their cell phones and hitting the curb or running off the right edge of the road. (Numerous times!)

 

Systems that check the driver alertness have been in research for over a decade in the automotive industry. The biggest limiting factors being cost and processing power. As well as affordable image sensors that can see in widely varying light conditions (i.e., HDR sensors).
That Toyota will be bringing them in TSS 3.0 is not a surprise and welcome change. But if it works annoyingly like LKA with Active steering, I hope one can turn it off...
As for the steering wheel alert, you can easily detect whether you are touching or not by checking position sensor and the torque sensor on the steering wheel column. If the car notices that all changes on the steering wheel position are coming from its own doing (active steering), it means your hands are off and sends an alert.
Checking whether your eyes are on the road, requires eyes and face tracking (and enough affordable processing power to do it.)

 

I guess the Tesla auto-drive system (that costs $10,000) doesn't have it, or the driver had the volume turned off...another Tesla just crashed into a stopped police car that was helping someone. (Thankfully nobody was hurt.)

Tesla on autopilot slams into Florida state police car - ABC News

 

I think many Tesla drivers are overconfident that the car will drive itself. They spent so much money on it, they won't read the instructions and disclaimers of what the "Autopilot" can, or cannot, do. And then they don't listen to the alert the car gives them. And then bad things happen.
It is a combination of an over-ambitious company (and their CEO), and over-confident drivers who think they just bought a fully self driving car (it is not!).

@Colorado Boo : I see you have a Prius with AWD-e; how does that work for you? did it help this past winter? And did you have a front-wheel drive car before getting this Prius?

 

I've only had the AWD since July so haven't had a chance to give her the snow/ice test yet. My wife has a 2017 Prius LE and it's been pretty good in the winter here. She just has all-season tires and we take our 4X4 Tundra around in the storms.