Toyota Prius (2023 year). Manual in english - page 22

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4-5. Using the driving support systems

■

The BSM outside rear view mirror indicators visibility

When under strong sunlight, the outside rear view mirror indicator may be dif-
ficult to see.

■

The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert buzzer hearing

The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert buzzer may be difficult to hear over loud
noises such as high audio volume.

■

When “Blind Spot Monitor Unavailable” is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display

The sensor voltage has become abnormal, water, snow mud, etc., may be
built up in the vicinity of the sensor area of bumper (



P. 371). Removing the

water, snow, mud, etc., from the vicinity of the sensor area bumper should
return it to normal. Also, the sensor may not function normally when used in
extremely hot or cold weather.

■

When “Blind Spot Monitor System Malfunction Visit Your Dealer” is
shown on the multi-information display

There may be a sensor malfunction or misaligned. Have the vehicle
inspected by any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or
any reliable repairer.

■

Customization

The brightness of the outside rear view mirror indicators can be changed.
(Customizable features: 



P. 670)

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WARNING

■

To ensure the system can operate properly

●

Keep the sensor and its surrounding area on the bumper clean at all times.

●

Do not subject a sensor or its surrounding area on the rear bumper to a
strong impact.
If a sensor is moved even slightly off position, the system may malfunction
and vehicles may not be detected correctly.
In the following situations, have your vehicle inspected by any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.
• A sensor or its surrounding area is subject to a strong impact.
• If the surrounding area of a sensor is scratched or dented, or part of

them has become disconnected.

●

Do not disassemble the sensor.

●

Do not attach accessories or stickers to the sensor or surrounding area on
the bumper.

●

Do not modify the sensor or surrounding area on the bumper.

●

Do not paint the rear bumper any color other than an official Toyota color.

One Blind Spot Monitor sensor is
installed inside the left and right side of
the vehicle rear bumper respectively.
Observe the following to ensure the Blind
Spot Monitor can function correctly.

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4-5. Using the driving support systems

The Blind Spot Monitor function uses radar sensors to detect vehicles
that are traveling in an adjacent lane in the area that is not reflected in
the outside rear view mirror (the blind spot), and advises the driver of
the vehicle’s existence via the outside rear view mirror indicator.

The areas that vehicles can be detected in are outlined below.
The range of the detection area extends to:

Approximately 3.5 m (11.5 ft.)
from the side of the vehicle

The first 0.5 m (1.6 ft.) from the
side of the vehicle is not in the
detection area

Approximately 3 m (9.8 ft.) from
the rear bumper
Approximately 1 m (3.3 ft.) for-
ward of the rear bumper

The Blind Spot Monitor function

The Blind Spot Monitor function detection areas

1

2

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The Blind Spot Monitor function is operational when

●

The BSM system is set to on (



P. 153)

●

Vehicle speed is greater than approximately 16 km/h (10 mph)

■

The Blind Spot Monitor function will detect a vehicle when

●

A vehicle in an adjacent lane overtakes your vehicle.

●

You overtake a vehicle in adjacent lane slowly.

●

Another vehicle enters the detection area when it changes lanes.

■

Conditions under which the system will not detect a vehicle

The Blind Spot Monitor function is not designed to detect the following types
of vehicles and/or objects:

●

Small motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians etc.

*

●

Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction

●

Guardrails, walls, signs, parked vehicles and similar stationary objects

*

●

Following vehicles that are in the same lane

*

●

Vehicles driving 2 lanes across from your vehicle

*

●

Vehicles which are being overtaken rapidly by your vehicle

*

*

: Depending on conditions, detection of a vehicle and/or object may occur.

WARNING

■

Cautions regarding the use of the system

The driver is solely responsible for safe driving. Always drive safely, taking
care to observe your surroundings.
The Blind Spot Monitor function is a supplementary function which alerts the
driver that a vehicle is present in the blind spot. Do not overly rely on the
Blind Spot Monitor function. The function cannot judge if it is safe to change
lanes, therefore over reliance could cause an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.
According to conditions, the system may not function correctly. Therefore
the driver’s own visual confirmation of safety is necessary.

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4-5. Using the driving support systems

■

Conditions under which the system may not function correctly

●

The Blind Spot Monitor function may not detect vehicles correctly in the fol-
lowing situations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to a strong impact to the sensor or its

surrounding area

• When mud, snow, ice, a sticker, etc. is covering the sensor or surround-

ing area on the rear bumper

• When driving on a road surface that is wet with standing water during bad

weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or fog

• When multiple vehicles are approaching with only a small gap between

each vehicle

• When the distance between your vehicle and a following vehicle is short
• When there is a significant difference in speed between your vehicle and

the vehicle that enters the detection area

• When the difference in speed between your vehicle and another vehicle

is changing

• When a vehicle enters a detection area traveling at about the same

speed as your vehicle

• As your vehicle starts from a stop, a vehicle remains in the detection area
• When driving up and down consecutive steep inclines, such as hills, dips

in the road, etc.

• When driving on roads with sharp bends, consecutive curves, or uneven

surfaces

• When vehicle lanes are wide, or when driving on the edge of a lane, and

the vehicle in an adjacent lane is far away from your vehicle

• When a bicycle carrier or other accessory is installed to the rear of the

vehicle

• When there is a significant difference in height between your vehicle and

the vehicle that enters the detection area

• Immediately after the Blind Spot Monitor function is turned on

●

Instances of the Blind Spot Monitor function unnecessarily detecting a vehi-
cle and/or object may increase in the following situations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to a strong impact to the sensor or its

surrounding area

• When the distance between your vehicle and a guardrail, wall, etc. that

enters the detection area is short

• When driving up and down consecutive steep inclines, such as hills, dips

in the road, etc.

• When vehicle lanes are narrow, or when driving on the edge of a lane,

and a vehicle traveling in a lane other than the adjacent lanes enters the
detection area

• When driving on roads with sharp bends, consecutive curves, or uneven

surfaces

• When the tires are slipping or spinning
• When the distance between your vehicle and a following vehicle is short
• When a bicycle carrier or other accessory is installed to the rear of the

vehicle

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The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert functions when your vehicle is in
reverse. It can detect other vehicles approaching from the right or left
rear of the vehicle. It uses radar sensors to alert the driver of the other
vehicle’s existence through flashing the outside rear view mirror indi-
cators and sounding a buzzer.

The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function

Approaching vehicles

Detection areas

WARNING

■

Cautions regarding the use of the system

There is a limit to the degree of recognition accuracy and control perfor-
mance that this system can provide, do not overly rely on this system. The
driver is always responsible for paying attention to the vehicle’s surround-
ings and driving safely. (



P. 373)

■

To ensure the system can operate properly



P. 371

1

2

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4-5. Using the driving support systems

When a vehicle approaching from the right or left at the rear of the
vehicle is detected, the following will be displayed on the navigation
system screen.

The areas that vehicles can be detected in are outlined below.

To give the driver a more consistent time to react, the buzzer can alert
for faster vehicles from farther away.
Example:

RCTA icon display



When the Toyota parking assist
monitor is displayed



When the panoramic view mon-
itor (if equipped) is displayed

The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function detection areas

Approaching vehicle

Speed

Approximate 
alert distance

Fast

28 km/h (18 mph)

20 m (65 ft.)

Slow

8 km/h (5 mph)

5.5 m (18 ft.)

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The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function is operational when

●

The BSM system is set to on. (



P. 153)

●

The shift position is in R.

●

Vehicle speed is less than approximately 8 km/h (5 mph).

●

Approaching vehicle speed is between approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) and
28 km/h (18 mph).

■

Conditions under which the system will not detect a vehicle

The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function is not designed to detect the follow-
ing types of vehicles and/or objects:

●

Vehicles approaching from directly behind

●

Vehicles backing up in a parking space next to your vehicle

●

Guardrails, walls, signs, parked vehicles and similar stationary objects

*

●

Small motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.

*

●

Vehicles moving away from your vehicle

●

Vehicles approaching from the parking spaces next to your vehicle

*

●

The distance between the sensor and approaching vehicle gets too close

*

: Depending on the conditions, detection of a vehicle and/or object may

occur.

●

Vehicles that the sensors cannot detect
due to obstructions

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■

Situations in which the system may not operate properly

The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function may not detect vehicles correctly in
the following situations:

●

When the sensor is misaligned due to a strong impact to the sensor or its
surrounding area

●

When mud, snow, ice, a sticker, etc. is covering the sensor or surrounding
area on the position above the rear bumper

●

When driving on a road surface that is wet with standing water during bad
weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or fog

●

When multiple vehicles are approaching with only a small gap between
each vehicle

●

When a vehicle is approaching at high speed

●

When equipment that may obstruct a sensor is installed, such as a towing
eyelet, bumper protector (an additional trim strip, etc.), bicycle carrier, or
snow plow

●

When towing a trailer

●

When there is a significant difference in height between your vehicle and the
vehicle that enters the detection area

●

When a sensor or the area around a sensor is extremely hot or cold

●

If the suspension has been modified or tires of a size other than specified
are installed

●

When backing up on a slope with a
sharp change in grade

●

When backing out of a sharp angle park-
ing spot

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●

If the front of the vehicle is raised or lowered due to the carried load

■

Situations in which the system may operate even if there is no possibil-
ity of a collision

Instances of the Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function unnecessarily detecting
a vehicle and/or object may increase in the following situations:

●

When equipment that may obstruct a sensor is installed, such as a towing
eyelet, bumper protector (an additional trim strip, etc.), bicycle carrier, or
snow plow

●

When turning while backing up

●

When a vehicle turns into the detection
area

●

When the parking space faces a street
and vehicles are being driven on the
street

●

When the distance between your vehicle
and metal objects, such as a guardrail,
wall, sign, or parked vehicle, which may
reflect electrical waves toward the rear
of the vehicle, is short

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4-5. Using the driving support systems

●

When there are spinning objects near your vehicle such as the fan of an air
conditioning unit

●

When water is splashed or sprayed toward the rear bumper, such as from a
sprinkler

●

Moving objects (flags, exhaust fumes, large rain droplets or snowflakes, rain
water on the road surface, etc.)

●

When the distance between your vehicle and a guardrail, wall, etc., that
enters the detection area is short

●

Gratings and gutters

●

When a sensor or the area around a sensor is extremely hot or cold

●

If the suspension has been modified or tires of a size other than specified
are installed

●

If the front of the vehicle is raised or lowered due to the carried load

●

When a vehicle passes by the side of
your vehicle

●

When a detected vehicle turns while
approaching the vehicle

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Toyota parking assist-sensor



Front corner sensors
Front center sensors
Rear corner sensors
Rear center sensors
Front side sensors
Rear side sensors

The Toyota parking assist-sensor
can be enabled/disabled on the

 screen (



P. 153) of the

multi-information display.

When on is selected, Toyota park-
ing assist-sensor indicator will
come on.

Once off is selected, the Toyota parking assist-sensor will not return to on

until it is turned to on by the 

 screen of multi-information display again.

(The system does not automatically return to on even when the hybrid sys-
tem is restarted.)



: If equipped

The distance from your vehicle to nearby obstacles when paral-
lel parking or maneuvering into a garage is measured by the
sensors and communicated via the displays and a buzzer.
Always check the surrounding area when using this system.

Types of sensors

1
2
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4
5
6

Turning the Toyota parking assist-sensor on/off

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4-5. Using the driving support systems

When the sensors detect an obstacle, the following displays inform
the driver of the position and distance to the obstacle.

■

Multi-information display

Front center sensor opera-
tion
Front corner sensor opera-
tion
Front side sensor operation
Rear side sensor operation
Rear corner sensor operation
Rear center sensor operation

• The operation display is gray when the sensors are operating.
• The front side sensor operation displays and rear side sensor operation

displays are not shown until a scan of the side areas is completed.

■

Audio system screen

When the Toyota parking assist
monitor

*

 is displayed:

A simplified image is displayed
on the right upper corner of the
audio system screen when an
obstacle is detected.

*

: If equipped

Display

1

2

3
4
5
6

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Distance display

Sensors that detect an obstacle will illuminate continuously or blink.

Sensor detection display, obstacle distance

Multi-informa-

tion display

*

Audio system 

screen

*

Approximate distance to obstacle

Front corner, 

front center and 

front side 

sensors

Rear corner, 

rear center and 

rear side 

sensors

(continuous)

(blinking 

slowly)

100 cm (3.3 ft.)
to 60 cm (2.0 ft)

150 cm (4.9 ft.) 
to 60 cm 
(2.0 ft.)

(continuous)

(blinking)

60 cm (2.0 ft.)
to 45 cm (1.5 ft)
60 cm (2.0 ft.) 
to 45 cm 
(1.5 ft.)
100 cm (3.3 ft.)
to 70 cm (2.3 ft.)

100 cm (3.3 ft.)
to 70 cm (2.3 ft.)
60 cm (2.0 ft.) 
to 45 cm 
(1.5 ft.)
60 cm (2.0 ft.)
to 45 cm (1.5 ft)

(continuous)

(blinking 

rapidly)

45 cm (1.5 ft.) to
35 cm (1.2 ft.)
45 cm (1.5 ft.) 
to 35 cm 
(1.2 ft.)
70 cm (2.3 ft.) to
30 cm (1.0 ft.)

70 cm (2.3 ft.) to
30 cm (1.0 ft.)
45 cm (1.5 ft.) 
to 35 cm 
(1.2 ft.)
45 cm (1.5 ft.) to
35 cm (1.2 ft.)

(blinking)

(continuous)

Less than 
35 cm (1.2 ft.)
Less than 
35 cm (1.2 ft.)
Less than 
30 cm (1.0 ft.)

Less than 
30 cm (1.0 ft.)
Less than 
35 cm (1.2 ft.)
Less than 
35 cm (1.2 ft.)

Far

Near

1

6

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

6

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*

: The images may differ from those shown in the illustrations depending on

the detection status. (



P. 382)

Front center sensors
Front corner sensors
Front side sensors

Rear side sensors
Rear corner sensors
Rear center sensors

1
2
3

4
5
6

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When an obstacle is detected, the buzzer sounds.

●

As the obstacle is approached, the buzzer sounds more rapidly.
When the obstacle is extremely close, the buzzer switches from
sounding intermittently (short beeps) to continuously (a long beep).

• Distance to obstacle detected by front corner sensor is approxi-

mately 35 cm (1.2 ft.) or less

• Distance to obstacle detected by front side sensor or rear side

sensor is approximately 30 cm (1.0 ft.) or less

• Distance to obstacle detected by front sensor is approximately

35 cm (1.2 ft.) or less

• Distance to obstacle detected by rear corner sensor is approxi-

mately 35 cm (1.2 ft.) or less

• Distance to obstacle detected by back sensor is approximately

35 cm (1.2 ft.) or less

●

When an obstacle is detected by multiple sensors simultaneously,
the buzzer sounds according to the distance to the closest obsta-
cle.

●

When obstacles are simultaneously detected to the front and rear
of the vehicle, separate buzzers sound patterns according to the
distance to each obstacle.

The volume and timing of the buzzer can be changed. (



P. 670)

Buzzer