2011 TOYOTA VERSO ESP

141 1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
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CAUTION
SRS airbag precautions
The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable force, and
can cause death or serious injury especially if the front passenger is very
close to the airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the air-
bag as possible with the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits
upright.
Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or
seriously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small
to use a seat belt should be properly secured using a child restraint sys-
tem. Toyota strongly recommends that all infants and children be placed in
the rear seats of the vehicle and properly restrained. The rear seats are
the safest for infants and children. (P. 145)
Do not sit on the edge of the seat or
lean against the dashboard.
Do not allow a child to stand in front of
the SRS front passenger airbag unit or
sit on the knees of a front passenger.
Do not drive the vehicle while the driver
or passenger have items resting on
their knees.

174 2-1. Driving procedures
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Starting on a steep uphill
Multidrive or automatic transmission
Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to “D” or
“M”.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
Manual transmission
With the parking brake set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever to “1”.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as
gradually releasing the clutch pedal.
Release the parking brake. (P. 214)
Hill-Start Assist Control (vehicles with VSC+)
The hill-start assist control allows you to smoothly start off the vehicle on a
steep or slippery uphill incline. (P. 273)
Driving in the rain
Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.

177 2-1. Driving procedures
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When driving
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CAUTION
When starting the vehicle (vehicles with a Multidrive or an automatic
transmission)
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
When driving the vehicle
Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi-
culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the
vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. This may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
Vehicles with a Multidrive or an automatic transmission: Do not let the
vehicle roll backwards while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll
forward while the shift lever is in “R”.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake performance,
resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back door is closed.
Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause driver drowsiness and
an accident, resulting in death or a serious health hazard. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by any authorized Toyota dealer or repairer, or another duly
qualified and equipped professional immediately.

238 2-2. Instrument cluster
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Outside temperature display
In the following situations, the correct outside temperature may not be
displayed, or the display may take longer than normal to change.
• When stopped, or driving at low speeds (less than 20 km/h [12 mph])
• When the outside temperature has changed suddenly (at the entrance/
exit of a garage, tunnel, etc.)
When “--” is displayed, the system may be malfunctioning.
Take your vehicle to any authorized Toyota dealer or repairer, or another
duly qualified and equipped professional.
Liquid crystal display
Small spots or light spots may appear on the display. This phenomenon is
characteristic of liquid crystal displays, and there is no problem to continue
using the display.
Customization that can be configured at any authorized Toyota dealer
or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional
Settings (e.g. rear seat belt reminder buzzer) can be changed.
(Customizable featuresP. 569)
NOTICE
The multi-information display at low temperatures
Allow the interior of the vehicle to warm up before using the liquid crystal
information display. At extremely low temperatures, the information display
monitor may respond slowly, and display changes may be delayed.

263 2-4. Using other driving systems
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When driving
VERSO_WE_OM64524EWhen obstacles are simultaneously detected in front and to the
rear:
• The buzzer sounds in response to the nearest obstacle.
• When an obstacle either in front or to the rear is extremely
close, the buzzer will alternate between sounding continu-
ously and sounding intermittently.
• When obstacles both in front and to the rear are extremely
close, the buzzer will alternate between sounding continu-
ously and sounding intermittently, with a shorter interval.
Sensors that operate
Forward Backward

267
2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
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Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following sys-
tems operate automatically in response to various driving situations.
Be aware, however, that these systems are supplementary and
should not be relied upon too heavily when operating the vehicle.
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface.
Brake assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed, when the system detects a panic stop situation.
VSC+ (Vehicle Stability Control +) (if equipped)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning
on slippery road surfaces.
TRC (Traction Control) (if equipped)
Maintains drive power and prevents the front wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads.
EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn
the steering wheel.

271 2-4. Using other driving systems
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When driving
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CAUTION
Any of the following conditions may result in an accident which could cause
death or serious injury:
The ABS does not operate effectively when
The limits of tire gripping performance have been exceeded.
The vehicle hydroplanes while driving at high speed on the wet or slick
road.
Stopping distance when the ABS is operating may exceed that of nor-
mal conditions
The ABS is not designed to shorten the vehicle’s stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you in the following situ-
ations:
When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
When driving with tire chains
When driving over bumps in the road
When driving over roads with potholes or uneven roads
TRC may not operate effectively when
Directional control and power may not be achievable while driving on slip-
pery road surfaces, even if the TRC is operating.
Do not drive the vehicle in conditions where stability and power may be lost.
When the VSC+ is activated
The slip indicator light flashes and a warning buzzer sounds. Always drive
carefully. Reckless driving may cause an accident. Exercise particular care
when the indicator light flashes and a buzzer sounds.
When the TRC and VSC+ are off
Be especially careful and drive at a speed appropriate to the road condi-
tions. As these are systems to ensure vehicle stability and driving force, do
not turn off TRC and VSC+ unless necessary.

288 2-5. Driving information
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Guidance
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. In order to
avoid accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind
when towing:
Checking connections between trailer and lights
Stop the vehicle and check the operation of the connection
between the trailer and lights after driving for a brief period as well
as before setting off.
Practicing driving with a coupled trailer
Get the feel for turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer
coupled by practicing in an area with no or light traffic.
When reversing with a coupled trailer, hold the section of the
steering wheel nearest to you and rotate clockwise to turn the
trailer left or counterclockwise to turn right. Always rotate gradu-
ally to prevent steering error. Have someone guide you when
reversing to lessen the risk of accident.
Increasing vehicle-to-vehicle distance
At a speed of 10 km/h (6 mph), the distance to the vehicle running
ahead of you should be equivalent to or greater than the combined
length of your vehicle and trailer. Avoid sudden braking that may
cause skidding. Otherwise, the vehicle may spin out of control.
This is especially true when driving on wet or slippery road sur-
faces.
Sudden acceleration/steering input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing may result in the trailer collid-
ing with your vehicle. Decelerate well in advance when approach-
ing turns and take them slowly and carefully to avoid sudden
braking.