The automotive industry prides itself as one of the most tech-advanced areas of modern engineering. Every car developed in recent years comes with new and never-heard-of safety features. At the forefront of the call for safer driving is one of the most renowned car makers-Toyota.
The Toyota Sway Warning system is an algorithm-based warning system built into Toyota cars. The system detects when the driver is drifting from their lane and immediately sends out an alert.
The warning system simply warns you when you are losing control. The whole idea is based on the push for safer driving.
What Is Toyota Sway Warning?
The Toyota sway warning system is an addition to Toyota cars that enable them to warn drivers when their driving gets unsafe. It stems from Toyota’s broader driving safety program- Toyota’s Lane Departure Alert System.
When the car sways, the system immediately sets off an alert. The driver will hear the sound alert and also receive a message via the vehicle information display.
The coffee cup message on the display is a caution to the driver that they could be tired and should probably pull over for a coffee or rest.
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Why Does The Toyota Sway Warning Come On?
There are multiple reasons why your car will trigger the sway warning. The most common ones are stability issues, harsh driving conditions, and trailer hitches.
Stability Control System
If your car is equipped with a system to maintain its stability on the road then a sway warning alert should not come as a surprise. When you are losing traction or are at risk of tipping over, the system will warn you by setting off the sway warning.
Trailer Hitch
A trailer is an addition to the car’s original weight. Extra weight makes cars difficult to handle. If the extra wheeler is not balanced, it could cause your car to sway even with your high-level driving skills. If you sway, the warning will go off.
Harsh Driving Conditions
Cars easily sway when driving through strong winds, that is when the wind does not tip the car over. The wind hits the car from different sides causing it to sway from lane to lane.
When the wind gets too strong, it might be safe to simply pull over and let nature have its way.
At What Speed Does The Sway Warning System Operate?
Your car might be equipped with a sway warning system but there is a criterion that the car must meet for the system to work effectively.
The system must be set to ON to work. You can check the multi-information display for the sway warning ON sign.
The car must be driving at 32mph or more. This is around 50km/h.
You must be driving on a lane at least 9.8 ft wide. This is slightly more or less than 3m.
Like any system, the sway warning must be clear of any malfunction to run smoothly. If your car is yet to detect any faults in the sway warning system, then you are good to go.
What Does Sway Warning “Time Until Rest” Mean?
This is a visual and audible alert projected to the driver when the sway warning system detects fatigue. It is characterized by a cup of coffee displayed on the multi-information display suggesting a break to recover.
How Do I Turn Off Sway Warning?
Disabling the Toyota sway warning feature or altering its sensitivity to suit your needs is possible. The disabling option is both convenient and risky.
You get to drive without the constant beeping but without anyone to warn you when your car is about to tip over.
- The procedure for turning the sway warning system to ON and OFF is pretty direct.
- Long press the OK button
- Shift to the lane center. Here you’ll choose whether to engage or disengage the lane-centering feature.
- To change the sway warning, you’ll need to select the Enable/Disable vehicle sway warning option.
- To customize sensitivity, just select the sway warning sensitivity option.
Does Sway Warning Sometimes Not Work Properly?
There are situations when the sway warning system is not as reliable. This is due to certain weather and terrain conditions that make the system less effective.
Learning about these conditions will help you judge scenarios better and know when not to rely on the sway warning system.
These conditions include:
- When driving on a snow-covered road or highway
- When you are driving through a mass construction site
- The road is slippery due to weather or other reasons
- When road markings (yellow and white lines) are hard to read due to weather
- You are hauling a trailer
- There is a spare tire in the car or chains in the vehicle
- The car tires are not well inflated
- You are driving through an intersection
- You are driving around a sharp curve
- You are driving on a slope
- Your speed is too high
- The traffic lane is more or less than 9.8 ft wide
Where Can I See Sway Warning?
Toyota has made an effort to incorporate the sway warning system in almost all of its recently developed and produced models.
- Prius Prime
- Prius
- Corolla
- Camry
- Camry Hybrid
- Avalon
- Avalon Hybrid
- Tundra
- Tacoma
- C-HR
- RAV4
- RAV4 Hybrid
- Highlander Hybrid
- Corolla Cross
The feature is only in the 2022 models of the above-mentioned cars.
Bottom Line
Toyota is a major contributor to safe driving and road safety around the globe. The Toyota sway warning feature is a life-saving addition to vehicles’ configurations which when well utilized can make our journeys a lot safer.
The system alerts you when you seem to be drifting off your lane but it cannot drive for you. If you are not conversant with road safety, you are safer in the passenger seat.
Unfortunately, the system is new and is only available in the newly developed models.
