There have been quite a few innovations in the past few years, and your Toyota dealer thought we had seen them all. We’ve seen cars with navigation systems and cars that assist in parking with cameras and beepers, but now there is technology that actually allows a car to park itself. The driver doesn’t do anything more than keep a steady speed and pay attention. Of course, the design isn’t foolproof, but can you imagine not having to sweat parallel parking?

Your Toyota dealer knows that a large proportion of minor accidents occur during parking. Sometimes it’s misjudging the distance between vehicles, and other times accidents happen when drivers mistake the angle they are pulling in at. Either way, it can be frustrating and expensive to scratch or dent another car when you are simply trying to park. Advanced sensors now make these worries virtually a thing of the past, and here’s a description of how they work.

Toyota dealers know that speed and direction are key to successful parallel parking. The driver puts the car in reverse, and slowly backs up. As long as they are driving within a low speed range and the sensors determine there is enough room for the car, the car will switch into self parking mode. The driver needs to keep their foot lightly on the brake, and avoid touching the gas or the wheel. If they touch them, the self parking system will turn off. The vehicle uses sonar to determine where it is and where it is going, and will turn the wheel to make it happen. In no time, the vehicle is parked.

Your Toyota dealer knows that these new technologies are pretty exciting, and you’ll be sure to see more of them in the vehicles you drive in time. While they are no excuse for not paying attention, they are a great way of minimizing the risk of bumping another vehicle as you park.

As technology changes, staying connected on the streets of St Louis while driving your hybrid Toyota is becoming increasingly common. Where people were once worried about a radio or a passenger distracting a driver, now one of the new worries is chatting on the phone while driving a car. While there are some legitimate concerns about talking and driving, the latest concern is texting while driving.

Texting, or text messaging, is the process of sending a typed message, usually with shortened and slang words, over a phone line. It’s often done sentence by sentence, with each party sending short messages back and forth with each other, forming a communication with typed words. One of the big problems with texting is that it doesn’t just take concentration—it often takes the use of your eyes, as well. Taking your eyes off of the road while you are driving your hybrid Toyota is dangerous, and doing it while you are distracted is even more alarming.

In order to combat this problem, Missouri has instituted a new law. It is now illegal for any person age 21 or younger to text while driving. Now, there are plenty of states that restrict texting while driving your hybrid Toyota, but Missouri is the first to single out one age group and not penalize others. If a person in this age range is caught, the fine will be $200. The Missouri Department of Transportation isn’t happy about this, as they feel the ban should extend to people of all age groups, since it is the activity, and not the age that causes the problem. For now, however, the law states that it’s only those under 22 who can be penalized.

The next time you think about texting someone while you drive your hybrid Toyota, please think twice. Even if it’s legal for you to do it, it certainly isn’t safe. The message you are sending can wait, but your safety can’t.