The Toyota STAR system is a group of 6 of the most important electronic safety features found on cars today, which is why it is standard on every Toyota model.

The Anti-Lock brake system

ABS was one of the first active safety features to be available on cars and over the last 40 years, it has proven its usefulness. The system used in Toyota vehicles is the latest type of ABS and it is capable of “pumping” the brake pedal multiple time per second, much faster than any human could manage, to prevent the wheels from locking up during deceleration.

The Brake Assist

The Brake Assist detects the sign of an emergency by calculating the time it takes from your foot to travel from the accelerator to the brake pedal. Naturally, you will brake much quicker in an emergency then you would in normal driving. This prompts the system to apply the full braking pressure to stop the vehicle quicker, even if you didn’t quite press hard enough on the pedal.

The Traction control

The Traction Control system is another part of the STAR system an it helps you get going when stopped on an icy or loose surface. In these situations, one of the powered wheels might want to accelerate quicker than the others. If this is the case, the system reigns it in by applying the brakes on this particular wheel and by cutting the engine’s power.

The Vehicle Stability Control

Every Toyota is equipped with the Vehicle stability control, which makes sure the vehicle stays on the road by using each brake individually to prevent a spin or a slide caused by an uneven loss of grip.

The Smart Stop Technology

This system is designed to give the brakes priority over the accelerator in a situation where both pedals are pushed simultaneously. This could prevent a serious collision in the event of an inadvertent action of the accelerator.

The Electronic Brake Force Distribution

The last technology to be part of the Toyota STAR system is the Electronic Brake Force Distribution, which ensures straight and controlled stops by varying the brake pressure to each wheel to slow them all down at the same rate.