A lot of drivers know the feeling of very nearly getting into an accident...heart in throat, inability to swallow, lightening-speed flash. And, many, unfortunately, know the trauma that comes from actually having a crash. Wouldn't it be nice if your car could literally steer you away from accidents, so that you could avoid the resultant stress and headaches all together?

Toyota thinks so and that is exactly why the Japanese automaker is developing a new crash avoidance system. Engineered with a complex mix of cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and on-board microprocessors to calculate and implement braking and steering adjustments, it's capable of calculating and automating the braking and steering adjustments necessary for avoiding an imminent accident.

Toyota demonstrated their pre-collision steering control technology for the first time at a recent media even in Japan. There, Toyota explained how it is hoping the technology will prevent a significant amount of accidents involving pedestrians.

Few know just how many people are hit crossing the streets on an annual basis. But, the NHTSA has collected and published data evidencing over 4,000 - in 2009 alone. And, that's solely in the U.S. Confirming the ridiculous number of pedestrians struck by vehicles each year are more recent findings from a study executed in the Washington D. C. area. Those finding show that, in the District, more accidents occur in crosswalks per year, than in the actual streets.

That said, Toyota's new crash-avoidance system is expected to do a lot more than prevent cars from hitting pedestrians. It should also prevent a significant number of slow/low-impact vehicle-to-vehicle accidents, as well as accidents involving mercurial animals.

Interested in learning more about Toyota's full-frontal attack on automobile accidents? Be sure to stay tuned. Lustine Toyota, located at 14227 Jefferson Davis, Woodbridge, VA, is dedicated to keeping you informed and hopes to have an ETA for the new Toyota pre-collision steering technology for you, soon.