Toyota's latest-generation Audio Multimedia System takes connectivity to a new level with a wide array of entertainment, convenience, and communications features. One component of this connected experience is called Toyota Safety Connect. This subscription-based service delivers added support to the driver and passengers when the unexpected occurs, whether an accident, a medical emergency, a mechanical/repair issue, or vehicle theft.
Do not confuse Toyota Safety Connect with Toyota Safety Sense. The latter is a suite of advanced driver assistance systems designed to help address three key areas of accident protection: preventing or mitigating frontal collisions, keeping drivers within their lane, and enhancing road safety during nighttime driving.
Toyota Safety Connect is a post-occurrence system that provides access to a 24/7 response center with agents who can remotely dispatch necessary services to a vehicle's location. Safety Connect is available to Toyota owners through the Toyota app for iPhone or Android smartphones. Furthermore, the feature is available with a recently extended trial of up to 10 years for owners of select 2023 and 2024 Toyota models.
Toyota Safety Connect has four primary functions: emergency assistance, enhanced roadside assistance, automatic collision notifications, and stolen-vehicle locator. Each serves a specific role in a particular set of circumstances.
Emergency assistance offers drivers a 24-hour connection to response-center agents who can request the dispatch of necessary emergency services directly to the vehicle's location.
To engage Safety Connect's emergency-assistance feature, a press of the SOS button on the instrument panel calls the Toyota Emergency Response Center. The system then mutes the audio system and displays an emergency banner on the multimedia screen. The LED lighting near the SOS button will also blink.
Once connected, the system will ask, "Are you in need of medical or emergency services?" Saying "yes" will connect the caller to an agent who receives the vehicle's location. Saying "no" gives the option to select "Roadside," "Enrollment," or "Goodbye."
The enhanced roadside assistance button can connect drivers with 24-hour roadside assistance at no additional cost. These are typically non-emergency services, including battery jumpstarts, fuel delivery, tire repair or replacement service, towing, and winching. If the call doesn't connect, the system will retry calling eight times before stating, "Unable to connect to the emergency roadside call center."
For automatic collision notification, the system will notify Toyota's 24-hour response center in case of an airbag deployment or severe rear-end collision. In both cases, the responding agent will attempt to speak with the vehicle's occupants, then notify local emergency services to request dispatch of emergency services by relaying the vehicle's model information and exact location. If the system cannot establish a connection, it will call again every 20 seconds for 24 hours until it does connect.
If a vehicle is stolen, this feature allows Toyota's response-center agents to assist authorities in tracking the vehicle using GPS technology immediately after filing a police report. If a car appears to have been stolen, the first step is to report the stolen vehicle to the local police department and obtain a case number. The next step is to call the appropriate Toyota contact center that services the region where the car is currently located. The system will guide the caller through a prompt and then connect them to an agent who will contact local authorities to verify the case number.
Next, Toyota will monitor vehicle signals for seven days, which can be extended up to two weeks if necessary. The agent will work with the police to pinpoint the vehicle, who will inform you directly when they recover it. Once located, or 14 days have elapsed, the system removes the car from the recovery process.
The Safety Connect suite of services will be available with up to a 10-year trial for owners of select 2023 and 2024 Toyota models equipped with the new-generation Toyota Audio Multimedia System:
Safety Connect depends on certain factors outside of Toyota's control to operate, including 4G network availability, an operative telematics device, a cellular connection, and a GPS signal. Without one or more of these things, it may limit the services, including access to the response center and emergency support.
Toyota's Safety Connect enhances the ownership experience for owners with the added peace of mind of knowing help is just a button push away.
To learn more about various automotive technologies, visit the Shopping Guides section of the website.
Jessica Shea Choksey is an experienced writer in the automotive field. In addition to JDPower.com, she was a correspondent for PBS's MotorWeek. Her work has also appeared in AutoTrader.
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