Starting December 9, Toyota Mobility Foundation to Conduct a Test in Okinawa Using Driving Data to Reduce Accidents Among Rental Car Users
2021.12.09
Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) has designated the realization of a safe mobility society as an important theme for its activities. In line with this, TMF is promoting a variety of initiatives, such as launching the website Elderly Driver.com(https://koureidriver.com/), which aims to provide information about safe driving for elderly drivers and their families, creating drills for elementary school students to learn traffic safety rules from the popular character “Professor Poo” (https://unkogakuen.com/kotsu_anzen), and collaborating on the “Zero Accidents Campaign” in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, which uses advanced technology and vehicle data.
Although the number of traffic accidents is declining in most of Japan, in popular tourist areas such as Okinawa and Hokkaido, accidents involving rental cars have become local issues. Thus, in collaboration with the automobile, tourism, airline, and other industries involved in the car rental business, TMF has decided to launch a new initiative to reduce such accidents. In this test, we aim to improve safe driving awareness among rental car users through interactive videos that promote caution while also serving as tourist information. The test also, diagnoses driving habits by analyzing actual driving data, and based on the results, the participant can receive coupons that can be used at airport stores. In the future, the system will be made available in multiple languages to support safe driving among overseas visitors to Japan as well.
In implementing this project, we have been working to create a mechanism for using and analyzing data, developing tools, and installing them in vehicles. We are working in collaboration with the following companies, Yazaki Corporation (President and Representative Director, Shinji Yazaki), Toyota Rent a Car Okinawa Co., Ltd. (President and Representative Director, Tomomasa Nohara), and JTB Corporation (President and CEO, Eijiro Yamakita). The following companies will also provide support through the provision of perks and benefits, All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (President and CEO, Yuji Hirako), Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and Executive President, Yuji Akasaka), ANA Festa Co., Ltd. (President and Representative Director, Yuji Suzuki), and JALUX Airport Inc. (Representative Director & CEO, Kimiaki Shiina).
▼Test Overview
- Period: December 9, 2021 – May 31, 2022 (planned)
- Target area: Main Island of Okinawa
- Target persons:
- Customers viewing the interactive video at the Naha Airport branch of Toyota Rent a Car
- Customers who use rental cars from the Naha Airport branch of Toyota Rent a Car and agree to participate in this test - 4. Project features:
(1) Raise traffic safety awareness through interactive videos (prior to departure)
- Through interactive driving videos, we aim to raise awareness about safe driving by providing information on Okinawa’s traffic environment and accident-prone spots according to routes to popular tourist destinations.
- Video viewing history and data related to desired destinations, etc., will be used to enhance the information provided on traffic safety and tourism.
- To encourage people to watch the video, coupons that can be used at ANA FESTA or BLUE SKY at Naha Airport will be awarded through a lottery drawing among those who have watched the video.
Driving video（https://www.oki-toyota-rent.jp/movie.php）
(2) Perform a driving diagnosis and give feedback on the results, provide information on accident-prone spots
- Prior to the start of the project, 20 cars belonging to Toyota Rent a Car Okinawa were equipped with digital tachographs from Yazaki Corporation, and actual driving data from customers, such as speeds, acceleration, and sudden braking, was collected and analyzed.
- With the cooperation of the Okinawa Prefectural Police, the data was checked against past accident data to create useful information for safe driving.
- We will newly develop an app for in-vehicle tablets to relay driving diagnosis results and road information to drivers.
- Function (1): Diagnose the level of safe driving based on driving behavior and provide a three-rank score of A, B, or C
- Function (2): Warn drivers in advance about places where there are frequent accidents
- Function (3): Based on the driving behavior of the driver, results of the most recent driving diagnosis are displayed every five minutes
- In order to raise awareness about safer driving, according to the results of the driving diagnosis, drivers will be selected through lottery drawings to win round-trip tickets between Haneda and Naha provided by All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, coupons for use at ANA FESTA or BLUE SKY at Naha Airport, and original products from both ANA and JAL.
- We will also consider measures to alleviate traffic congestion using the data collected through the app and measures to revitalize the local economy by providing tourist information through the app.
It is important to integrate the following three elements to realize traffic safety: implementing activities aimed at raising awareness of the issues among “people” (drivers and pedestrians), developing safe “vehicles,” and improving the “traffic environment” through efforts such as installing traffic signals and carrying out road maintenance.
It is important to integrate the following three elements to realize traffic safety: implementing activities aimed at raising awareness of the issues among “people” (drivers and pedestrians), developing safe “vehicles,” and improving the “traffic environment” through efforts such as installing traffic signals and carrying out road maintenance.
Since its founding, Toyota Motor Corporation has conducted its business activities with the aim of creating a prosperous society through automobiles while respecting all stakeholders, including customers, business partners, employees, and the local communities in which it operates. Accordingly, Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) was established in August 2014 to conduct activities that benefit the public good.
Aiming to realize a mobility society where everyone can move about freely, TMF is working to solve mobility issues worldwide through a diverse range of projects. Going forward, the Toyota Group, working in cooperation with various partners and utilizing the technologies and knowhow it has cultivated through its business activities, will continue to promote undertakings that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while contributing to the realization of a society where people can lead rich and fulfilling lives.
Reference data (Japanese only)
