
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B12U_(U)
1594-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Firmly set the parking brake with the brake pedal depressed, and
then shift the shift position to D.
Release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. (P. 247)
■For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles are similar to conventional vehicles, and it
is necessary to refrain from activities such as sudden acceleration. (P. 260)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-
dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-
cially 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 sur-
face, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-
mended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake
system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Toyota dealer per-
form the bedding down operation.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. (P. 554)
Starting off on a uphill
1
2
3

PRIUS v_OM_OM47B12U_(U)
1614-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
●During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid
system off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control,
however, power assist to the steering will be lost. This will make it more
difficult to steer smoothly, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way: P. 483
●Use engine braking (shift position B instead of shift position D) to maintain
a safe speed when driving down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. (P. 182)
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, depress the brake pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected.

164
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B12U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or
fire due to hybrid system overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in
a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle,
leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause
one side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the electronically controlled assist function does not operate, do not fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid downhill or sharp turns that require
braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 or more individual hydraulic systems; if
one of the systems fails, the other(s) will still operate. In this case, the
brake pedal should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking
distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.

PRIUS v_OM_OM47B12U_(U)
2114-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
To change the set speed, operate the lever until the desired set speed
is obtained.
Increases the speed
Decreases the speed
Fine adjustment: Momentarily
move the lever in the desired direc-
tion.
Large adjustment: Hold the lever in
the desired direction.
The set speed will be increased or decreased as follows:
Fine adjustment: By approximately 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time the lever is
operated.
Large adjustment: The set speed can be increased or decreased continu-
ally until the lever is released.
Pulling the lever toward you
cancels the constant speed
control.
The speed setting is also canceled
when the brakes are applied.
Pushing the lever up resumes
the constant speed control.
Resuming is available when the
vehicle speed is more than approx-
imately 25 mph (40 km/h).
Adjusting the set speed
1
2
Canceling and resuming the constant speed control
1
2

218
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B12U_(U)
4-5. Using the driving support systems
Pulling the lever toward you
cancels the cruise control.
The speed setting is also canceled
when the brakes are applied.
Pushing the lever up resumes
the cruise control and returns
vehicle speed to the set speed.
Resuming is available when the
vehicle speed is more than approx-
imately 25 mph (40 km/h).
This mode employs a radar sensor to detect the presence of vehicles
up to approximately 400 ft. (120 m) ahead, determines the current
vehicle-to-vehicle following distance, and operates to maintain a suit-
able following distance from the vehicle ahead.
Note that vehicle-to-vehicle distance will close in when traveling on long
downhill slopes.
Canceling and resuming the speed control
1
2
Driving in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode

PRIUS v_OM_OM47B12U_(U)
2194-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
Example of constant speed cruising
When there are no vehicles ahead
The vehicle travels at the speed set by the driver. The desired vehicle-to-
vehicle distance can also be set by operating the vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance control.
Example of deceleration cruising
When the vehicle ahead is driving slower than the set speed
When a vehicle is detected running ahead of you, the system automatically
decelerates your vehicle. When a greater reduction in vehicle speed is
necessary, the system applies the brakes. A warning tone warns you when
the system cannot decelerate sufficiently to prevent your vehicle from clos-
ing in on the vehicle ahead.
Example of follow-up cruising
When following a vehicle driving slower than the set speed
The system continues follow-up cruising while adjusting for changes in the
speed of the vehicle ahead in order to maintain the vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance set by the driver.
Example of acceleration
When there are no longer any vehicles ahead driving slower than
the set speed
The system accelerates until the set speed is reached. The system then
returns to constant speed cruising.
When your vehicle is too close to a vehicle ahead, and sufficient auto-
matic deceleration via the cruise control is not possible, the display
will flash and the buzzer will sound to alert the driver. An example of
this would be if another driver cuts in front of you while you are follow-
ing a vehicle. Apply the brakes to ensure an appropriate vehicle-to-
vehicle distance.
■Warnings may not occur when
In the following instances, there is a possibility that the warnings will
not occur:
●When the speed of the vehicle ahead matches or exceeds your
vehicle speed
●When the vehicle ahead is traveling at an extremely slow speed
●Immediately after the cruise control speed was set
●At the instant the accelerator is applied
Approach warning
1
2
3
4

PRIUS v_OM_OM47B12U_(U)
2234-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
WARNING
■Before using dynamic radar cruise control
Do not overly rely on vehicle-to-vehicle distance control.
Be aware of the set speed. If automatic deceleration/acceleration is not
appropriate, adjust the vehicle speed, as well as the distance between your
vehicle and vehicles ahead by applying the brakes etc.
■Cautions regarding the driving assist systems
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
●Assisting the driver to measure following distance
The dynamic radar cruise control is only intended to help the driver in
determining the following distance between the driver’s own vehicle and a
designated vehicle traveling ahead. It is not a mechanism that allows care-
less or inattentive driving, and it is not a system that can assist the driver in
low-visibility conditions. It is still necessary for driver to pay close attention
to the vehicle’s surroundings.
●Assisting the driver to judge proper following distance
The dynamic radar cruise control determines whether the following dis-
tance between the driver’s own vehicle and a designated vehicle traveling
ahead is appropriate or not. It is not capable of making any other type of
judgement. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for the driver to remain
vigilant and to determine whether or not there is a possibility of danger in
any given situation.
●Assisting the driver to operate the vehicle
The dynamic radar cruise control has no capability to prevent or avoid a
collision with a vehicle traveling ahead. Therefore, if there is ever any dan-
ger, the driver must take immediate and direct control of the vehicle and
act appropriately in order to ensure the safety of all involved.
■To avoid inadvertent cruise control activation
Switch the cruise control off using the “ON-OFF” button when not in use.

224
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B12U_(U)
4-5. Using the driving support systems
WARNING
■Situations unsuitable for dynamic radar cruise control
Do not use dynamic radar cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in inappropriate speed control and could cause an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury.
●Except on highways or expressways
●In heavy traffic
●On roads with sharp bends
●On winding roads
●On slippery roads, such as those covered with rain, ice or snow
●On steep downhills, or where there are sudden changes between sharp up
and down gradients
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a steep hill.
●At entrances to expressways
●When weather conditions are bad enough that they may prevent the sen-
sors from functioning correctly (fog, snow, sandstorm, heavy rain, etc.)
●When an approach warning buzzer is heard often
■When the sensor may not be correctly detecting the vehicle ahead
Apply the brakes (or accelerator pedal) as necessary when any of the fol-
lowing types of vehicles are in front of you.
As the sensor may not be able to correctly detect these types of vehicles,
the approach warning (P. 219) will not be activated, and a fatal or serious
accident may result.
●Vehicles that cut in suddenly
●Vehicles traveling at low speeds
●Vehicles that are not moving in the same lane
●Vehicles with small rear ends (trailers with no load on board etc.)
●Motorcycles traveling in the same lane
●When water or snow thrown up by the surrounding vehicles hinders the
detecting of the sensor