ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When engineering
and design come together with a bit of serendipity at Toyota, any
issue can be addressed – especially when the development of a
solution is powered by a mother's love and passion. Safety is
always a priority at Toyota, and the drive for safety innovation
continues every day. Sometimes, the genesis is a random
conversation between colleagues in the break room.
Jennifer Pelky is a Toyota
principal engineer of vehicle performance development for interior
safety, vice chair-elect of the National Child Passenger Safety
Board, and mother of two. Lindsay Babian is a Toyota principal
engineer of body design for seats and mother of one. While having
lunch in the cafeteria of Toyota's Michigan R&D facility in
2019, the pair's conversation steered toward the confusion they had
both experienced when installing different makes of child car seats
in different types of vehicles.
That's when the eureka moment struck. If even professional
safety engineers and designers struggled with car seats, then many
parents, grandparents and guardians also probably needed more help
and information. The conversation resulted in Toyota for
Families – a new digital toolkit featuring detailed car seat
installation instructions and video that officially launched in
March 2021 for the Toyota Sienna.
"I designed the parts for securely attaching a car seat myself,
yet there is still some confusion about proper car seat
installation, which can become a real problem," Babian said. "When
Jen approached me with this, I saw the need for a solution. Now,
parents, caregivers and grandparents who find it a challenge will
have a tool to help them succeed."
Always striving for safety improvement
Despite best efforts, vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of
death among American children, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). Though car seat technology has
improved considerably from the days of children sitting on
telephone books or riding on package trays, research from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows
that over half of all car seats are installed incorrectly.
Proper installation and use of car seats can reduce injuries in
a crash by more than 70% (NHTSA), and booster seats can reduce the
risk of injury by 45% (CDC). To take advantage of those safety
benefits, consumers could use more information about proper car
seat installation in vehicles. COVID-19 also created an even
greater need for easier access to instruction, since social
distancing requirements make it more difficult for parents to get
the in-person installation help they often need. Pelky and Babian
set out to provide more accessible information.
"With all the different seat combinations that exist in many
vehicles, people can use more assistance," Pelky said.
Necessity is the mother of invention. But, in this case, these
enterprising mothers were the mothers of invention. With a goal of
100% of car seats installed correctly, the duo addressed a question
that needed a logical, simple answer. How can Toyota use its
customer apps and website to demonstrate and explain how to
properly install a variety of car seats in Toyota vehicles?
The team also enlisted the help of Janelle Pharris, a mom of two and advanced
technology senior planner for Toyota, whose previous work
background includes marketing for Newell
Brands' Graco® line of car seats and
strollers.
Then, the three women got to work on their child seat safety
project as a "shared passion project" focusing first on the highly
anticipated 2021 Toyota Sienna. During development, the COVID-19
pandemic struck, forcing all to work remotely – Pelky and Babian in
Michigan and Pharris in
Texas.
The team overcame these challenges and even worked through
personal vacations to create Toyota for Families – an elegant and
practical solution that Toyota proudly awarded as a winner in both
its internal Innovation Fair and Tank2 competitions.
Modern issues and modern solutions
On the Toyota website or within the Toyota Owners App, users
select their vehicle or enter the VIN. Users then select the car
seat location they want and then enter the type of car seat they
have: forward-facing, rear-facing or booster seat. If they're
unsure which one they should use, the toolkit also has a
"help-me-choose" guide they can select based on their child's age
and weight.
Next, the app shows the user a custom video and written
step-by-step instructions detailing installation of a generic child
seat into the specific vehicle, in the specific position and
installation method they've selected: LATCH or seat belt. If
there's a known incompatibility with their choice, the system is
designed to automatically flag it and prompts them to choose a
valid option.
To help prevent mistakes, the video shows critical steps
necessary to achieve correct installation. The video will also show
additional steps, such as how to remove a headrest, if that's
something necessary prior to installing the car seat.
Toyota envisions a variety of use cases for the toolkit.
- Prospective customers at home or in a showroom can learn about
family safety and convenience features while shopping for their
vehicles.
- Dealerships can use it as an education tool for customers to
learn about safety and convenience features of their newly
purchased vehicle. Or, if a customer comes in for service and has
questions, the dealership can use it to help answer them.
- Toyota drivers can use the app to find video and written
instructions for installing their type of car seat in a specific
seating position in their vehicle.
The development of this unique safety offering was a true labor
of love for the three women.
"We really took joy working on this project, because it allowed
us to combine our passions of being a mom and wanting to ensure the
best for our children and all children," Pharris said. "We
each have a passion for reaching consumers to help get them to a
place of comfort by expanding their knowledge."
Though the App toolkit launched initially with the 2021 Sienna,
Toyota plans to expand video directions and written content to
other fleet vehicles over the next few years.
Toyota For Families is now accessible through the Toyota Owners
App and ToyotaOwners.com. App download is available for
iPhone® or Android™ smartphones.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in
the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing
sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus
brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly
employs more than 36,000 in the U.S. The company has contributed
world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 30
million cars and trucks at our 9 manufacturing plants, 10 including
our joint venture in Alabama that
begins production in 2021.
To help inspire the next generation for a career in
STEM-based fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual
education hub at www.TourToyota.com with an
immersive experience and chance to visit many of our U.S.
manufacturing facilities. The hub also includes a series of free
STEM-based lessons and curriculum through Toyota USA Foundation partners, virtual field trips
and more. For more information about Toyota,
visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Praveena
Ramaswami
Praveena.Ramaswami@Toyota.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America