I think the philosophy behind pre-collision systems like the one on the 2010 Toyota Prius is that two heads are better than one. In this case, one of the heads is the driver, and the other is the car itself.

On cars equipped with the dynamic cruise control system, pre-collision scans ahead, looking for other vehicles. If it determines that you’re approaching another vehicle too fast or if you suddenly jab the brakes, it assumes a crash is imminent and starts taking steps to prevent it, or lessen the consequences at the very least. It tightens the seatbelt to keep you from flopping around too violently in case of a crash, activates the pre-collision brake assist, which basically means adding hydraulic pressure to the lines, and if you just sit there and do nothing, it will automatically start braking for you. Sounds like a great idea for the chronically distracted driver of today.

Read the 2010 Toyota Prius First Drive or read more 2010 Prius Tech!