Safety is fundamental to an automobile society and is dependent upon three factors - vehicles, people, and the traffic environment. The Toyota company feels that improving automotive safety is one of the most important things in automobile manufacture. Their research and development on automotive safety consider both active and passive safety. They have done various R&D activities in accordance with the Ministry of Transport's first 5-year plan for promotion of the development of Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV), which aims to enhance the intelligence and safety of automobiles by using the latest in electronic technologies for practical application in the first part of the 21st century. They have completed the 'Toyota ASV', an experimental vehicle which is equipped with 18 new technology items in four main fields: preventive safety during normal driving, avoiding accidents, minimizing collision damages, and minimizing post-collision damages.
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