Toyota Wants to Help You Drive Better

Toyota is working toward features that can make driving better when you don’t have a partner to grade your driving performance on the road.

If you’re married or have a significant other that you drive with most of the time, you’re likely being critiqued every time you get behind the wheel. This is a traditional part of being married to another person that you each evaluate the other, especially when driving, but not everyone has a partner that does this or wants to. Even so, the purpose of much of the evaluation being done by your spouse is geared toward helping you be a better driver, at least in their opinion. 

The Toyota Artificial Intelligence

It’s not a secret that automotive companies are working on ways to let us drive without a human driver in the front seat. Until then, the systems that are in place can help us become better equipped for a variety of driving situations. Toyota is working on artificial intelligence that could determine when the autonomous systems of a car need to take over. This system could be helpful for new drivers and older drivers that are incapable of responding and evaluating the situation at hand.

Scoring the Driving Skills

In addition to taking over the driving needs to help you avoid an accident, the Toyota AI system may score your skills and driving experience and limit the capabilities of the car based on these scores. If you’re not a proficient driver you might not be able to travel on the freeway, in heavy traffic, during wet or snowy weather, or at night. There could be a maximum speed imposed based on the score. This doesn’t mean you won’t travel on these roads or at these times, instead, the AI will take over and handle the drive.

Constant Evaluation

Similar to some racing games that offer you low-powered cars and simple tracks for the fun you want to have, the Toyota AI will continually evaluate your driving abilities to make it possible for you to eventually drive the way you want. This is an interesting way to help you gain the skills and driving manners needed to be a better driver when you take a ride on the roads in your area. This idea certainly has merit, although, most of us aren’t going to be pleased if the car we drive decides we aren’t a good enough driver to handle every aspect of the ride.

A Lot of Questions for Toyota

While the idea of creating more skillful drivers by unlocking the different systems and locations that a person can drive based on skill has merit, the questions that arise are many. Who is determining the skill level for each area? What is the expertise of those making these decisions? Is this system being regulated by a government agency? How do you reach each of the different skill levels needed? This may be the first we’ve heard of actual AI being considered, but if it makes the roads safer, it could be worth consideration.