Toyota Develops World First Rear-Seat Centre Airbag

EPSOM, UNITED KINGDOM – March 12, 2009: Toyota has developed a world first rear-seat centre airbag to help reduce the severity of passenger injuries in side-on collisions.

The new Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag is fitted in a large, fixed, rear-seat centre console and will feature in particular Toyota models to be released in the near future.

When the vehicle is hit side-on, the airbag deploys from the top of the console to act as a barrier that helps lessen injuries caused by passengers colliding with each other or into the console.

Toyota continues to develop and make available its safety technologies to enable its vehicles to better respond to a wider range of accidents.

Toyota intends to further strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future by developing safer vehicles and technologies, participating in the creation of safe traffic environments and implementing traffic safety education activities.