CSRC

Toyota's Collaborative Safety Research Center works with leading North American universities, hospitals, research institutions and federal agencies on research projects aimed at developing and bringing to market new and advanced safety technologies that help reduce the number of traffic fatalities and injuries. The CSRC launched in January 2011 with a mission of serving as a catalyst for the advancement of auto safety in North America based on three pillars: collaborative research, accident data analysis, and outreach. We aim to help spur the development, testing and implementation of safety innovations across the industry for all automakers, not just Toyota and we've marshaled substantial engineering and scientific resources from within and outside the company to do it. Overall, Toyota has committed approximately $50 million over the next five years to fund the Center and its research, with the vast majority of funding going to our research partners. We have adopted a unique open approach to research, in which we share Toyota talent, technology, and data with a broad range of institutions and regulators. Our engineers define critical areas of study, proactively seek partners with whom we can collaborate, and work closely with our partners to achieve results that will benefit society. We intend to publish as much of the research as possible so that it will be available to federal agencies, the industry, and academia. Initial areas of research focus include reducing the risk of driver distraction and protecting vulnerable traffic populations, including children, teens, seniors and pedestrians. The CSRC's three current charter partners include the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and are actively working to identify additional worthwhile projects and partners.