Your Toyota Prius may be equipped with a feature called Lane Keep Assist. There are two functions within this system, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keep Assist.
What is Lane Keep Assist?
Lane Keep Assist is a driver assist system that is designed to determine the distance between the vehicle and both lane markers.
What is Lane Departure Warning?
Lane Departure Warning function alerts the driver to the possibility of lane departure through a warning buzzer and an indicator in the multi-information display. It also adds sensory feedback by briefly adding steering force to the steering wheel directing the vehicle to the center of the lane.
When the dynamic radar cruise control system has been set, the Lane Keep Assist function applies a slight steering force to help the driver keep the vehicle in the center of the lane.
Four Components
There are four components that make up the Lane Keep Assist system:
- A lane recognition camera mounted near the rear view mirror that helps identify the lane markers on the road.
- An electric power steering actuator that provides brief torque inputs to the steering system.
- The Lane Keep Assist system switch to turn the system on and off.
- And the Lane Keep Assist indicators which include a multi-information display and a warning buzzer.
How to Activate
- The Lane Keep Assist system is activated by pressing the Lane Keep Assist button located on the steering wheel. Depending upon button position and vehicle speed, the system will module between the two functions.
- With the Lane Keep Assist switch on and the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control system set, the system will operate in the Lane Departure Warning mode from 30 to 50 miles per hour and then in the Lane Keep Assist mode from 50 to 112 miles per hour.
- With the Lane Keep Assist switch on and the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control off, the system will operate in the Lane Departure Warning only mode from 30 to 112 miles per hour.
- The Lane Keep Assist function is temporarily canceled when the driver indicates a lane change maneuver either with the turn signal or by turning the steering wheel as far as necessary to change lanes.
- Once the lane change is complete, the Lane Keep Assist function will resume.
- Lane Keep Assist will also be canceled if the brake pedal is depressed. Operating the brake pedal will also cancel the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control setting so Lane Keep Assist will not resume until the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control has been reset. The multi-information display will indicate that Lane Keep Assist has been canceled by showing thin lane marker lines and the steering wheel icon will not be displayed until the system is reengaged by turning the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control on again.
