Chicago Toyota Service Experts Explain Brake Assist

Jun 16, 2015

When you look at car specs, you look at power, design and safety features. Are you confident you know what all of it means, especially when it comes to listed safety features? We can help you decipher car spec codes. Chicago Toyota service professionals explain Brake Assist.

Common Terms

Brake Assist is also referred to as Emergency Brake Assist. Brake Assist (BA) is part of Toyota’s Star Safety System™. Every new Toyota Vehicle is equipped with the system. The Star Safety System™ is composed of six safety systems: traction control, stability control, brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, smart stop, and ABS.

What is Brake Assist?

Brake Assist is an active safety feature. Active safety means the vehicle is equipped with devices and technologies that assist the driver and vehicle with maintaining control. The features are designed to compensate for driver error. Brake Assist is one such feature, as it compensates for panicked braking. Many times, drivers do not brake strong enough in an emergency situation, and that is where BA steps in. When the system detects panicked braking, the system adds additional braking power to force the vehicle to stop faster than it would have otherwise stopped. Both the time required to stop the vehicle and the distance to stop the vehicle reduce when the Brake Assist system kicks in.

Safety Pays Off

Toyota’s commitment to safety pays off year after year, and the industry awards Toyota for its impressive performance in safety testing. When the IIHS handed out Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ Awards, seven Toyota vehicles earned recognition and took home awards.