
PRIUS_OM_OM47E09U_(U)
2374-1. Before driving
4
Driving
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
● Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same tim e during
driving, as this may restrain the hybrid system output.
● Do  not  use  the  accelerator  pedal  or  depress  the  accelerator  and  brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■ When parking the vehicle
Always  set the  parking  brake, and shift  the shift  position to  P . Failure to  do
so may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate  suddenly if
the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■ Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
● Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and ho ld it there for
an extended period of time. 
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
● When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possibl e to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc. 
■ If you get a flat tire while driving 
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly  and  gradually  depress  the  brake  pedal to  slow  down  the  vehi-
cle.
● It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
● The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
● The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire:  P. 611, 631 

250
PRIUS_OM_OM47E09U_(U)
4-2. Driving procedures
WARNING
■When starting the hybrid system
Always  start  the  hybrid  system  while  sitting  in  the  driver’s  se at.  Do  not
depress  the  accelerator  pedal  while  starting  the  hybrid  system  under  any
circumstances. 
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious in jury.
■ Stopping the hybrid system in an emergency
● If  you  want  to  stop  the  hybrid  system  in  an  emergency  while  dri ving  the
vehicle,  press  and  hold  the  power  switch  for  more  than  2  second s,  or
press it briefly 3 times or more in succession. ( P. 581)
However,  do  not  touch  the  power  switch  while  driving  except  in  an  emer-
gency.  Turning  the  hybrid  system  off  while  driving  will  not  cau se  loss  of
steering  or  braking  control,  however,  power  assist  to  the  steer ing  will  be
lost.  This  will  make  it  more  difficult  to  steer  smoothly,  so  yo u  should  pull
over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
● If  the  power  switch  is  operated  while  the  vehicle  is  running,  a   warning
message  will  be  shown  on  the  multi-information  display  and  a  bu zzer
sounds.
● When  restarting  the  hybrid  system  after  an  emergency  shutdown  w hile
driving,  press  the  power  switch.  When  restarting  the  hybrid  sys tem  after
stopping  the  vehicle,  change  the  shift  position  to  P  and  then  press  the
power switch.
■ When parking
Exhaust  gases  include  harmful  carbon  monoxide  (CO),  which  is  colorless
and odorless. Observe the following precautions.
Failure  to  do  so  may  cause  exhaust  gases  to  enter  the  vehicle  a nd  may
lead to an accident caused by light-headedness, or may lead to  death or a
serious health hazard.
● If  the  vehicle  is  in  a  poorly  ventilated  area  or  a  closed  area,  such  as  a
garage, stop the hybrid system.
● Do not leave the vehicle with the hybrid system operating for a long time. If
such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and
ensure that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.
● Do not leave the hybrid system operating in an area with snow build-up, or
where  it  is  snowing.  If  snowbanks  build  up  around  the  vehicle  w hile  the
hybrid system is operating, exhaust gases may collect and enter  the vehi-
cle. 

PRIUS_OM_OM47E09U_(U)
2654-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
CanadaThe  headlights,  side
marker,  parking,  LED
accent  (if  equipped),
daytime  running  lights
( P. 266) and so on
turn on and off automat-
ically  (when  the  power
switch is in ON mode).
The  side  marker,  park-
ing,  LED  accent  (if
equipped),  tail,  license
plate,  instrument  panel
lights,  and  daytime  run-
ning  lights  ( P.  266)
turn on.
The  headlights  and  all  the  lig hts  listed  above  (except  day-
time running lights) turn on.
The daytime running lights turn on. ( P. 266)
With  the  headlights  on,  push
the  lever  away  from  you  to turn
on the high beams. 
Pull  the  lever  toward  you  to  the
center  position  to  turn  the  high
beams off.
Pull  the  lever  toward  you  and
release  it  to  flash  the  high
beams once.
You can flash the high beams with the headlights on or off.
AFS  (Adaptive  Front-lighting  System)  secures  excellent  visibili ty  at
intersections and on curves by automatically adjusting the dire ction of
the  light  axis  of  the  headlights  according  to  vehicle  speed  and  the
degree of the tire’s  angle as controlled  by steering input.
AFS operates at speeds of approximately 6 mph (10 km/h) or high er.
1
2
Turning on the high beam headlights
3
4
1
2
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) (if equipped) 

PRIUS_OM_OM47E09U_(U)
3674-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■Operation conditions
The power switch is turned on.
●Front corner sensors:
• Shift position is not in P
• Vehicle speed is approximately 6 mph (10 km/h) or less
● Front side sensors/rear side sensors:
• Shift position is not in P
• Vehicle speed is approximately 6 mph (10 km/h) or less
• Steering wheel is turned approximately 90  or more
● Front center sensors:
• Shift position is not in P or R
• Vehicle speed is approximately 6 mph (10 km/h) or less
● Rear corner sensors/rear center sensors:
Shift position is in R
■ Intuitive parking assist pop-up display
P. 390
■ Sensor detection information
●The  sensor’s  detection  areas  are  limited  to  the  areas  around  th e  vehicle’s
bumper.
● Depending on the shape of the obstacle and other factors, the detection dis-
tance may shorten, or detection may be impossible.
● Obstacles may not be detected if they are too close to the sens or.
● There  will  be  a  short  delay  between  obstacle  detection  and  disp lay.  Even
when  traveling  at  a  low  speed,  if  you  come  too  close  to  an  obstacle  before
the display and buzzer activate, the display and buzzer may not activate at
all.
● Thin  posts  or  objects  lower  than  the  sensor  may  not  be  detected   when
approached, even if they have been detected once.
● It  might  be  difficult  to  hear  beeps  due  to  the  volume  of  audio  system  or  air
flow noise of the air conditioning system. 

410
PRIUS_OM_OM47E09U_(U)
4-5. Using the driving support systems
When  the  Simple  Advanced  Park ing  Guidance  System  cannot  be
operated, or when operation is  stopped, canceled, etc., the one  of the
following message is displayed on the multi-information display . Take
appropriate action acc ording to the display.
■When it is not possible to operate
Multi-information display messages
MessageSituation/Handling method
The system may be malfunctioning.
 Turn  the  power  switch  off  and  then  start  the
hybrid system.
Have  the  vehicle  inspected  by  your  Toyota
dealer if the message is displayed again.
There may be a system failure.
Power  steering  equipment  is  temporarily  overheat-
ing.
Turn the power switch off, wait for a little
while, and then start the hybrid system again.
The hybrid system is not operating.
Start the hybrid system.
Ice, snow, dirt, etc., has adhered to the sensor.
Remove any ice, snow, dirt, etc.
The sensor is frozen.
Once the sensor thaws, the system will return
to normal.
The  12-volt  battery  has  been  removed  and  rein-
stalled.
Drive the vehicle straight ahead for 5 seconds
or  more  at  a  speed  of  approximately  22  mph
(35 km/h) or higher.
The  S-APGS  switch  is  operated  when  the  vehicle
speed exceeds 19 mph (30 km/h).
Operate the switch when the vehicle speed is
approximately 19 mph (30 km/h) or less.
Assist  control  is  started  while  the  steering  wheel  is
held.
Rest  your  hands  on  the  steering  wheel  with-
out  applying  any  force.  Assist  control  will
start. 

420
PRIUS_OM_OM47E09U_(U)
4-5. Using the driving support systems
Driving assist systems
◆ECB (Electronically Controlled Brake System)
The electronically controlled system generates braking force co rre-
sponding to the brake operation 
◆ABS (Anti-lock  Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenl y,
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 p edal
is depressed when the system de tects a panic stop situation
◆VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps  the  driver  to  control  skidding  when  swerving  suddenly  or
turning on slippery road surfaces.
◆Enhanced VSC (Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control  of the ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS.
Helps  to  maintain  directional  stability  when  swerving  on  slippe ry
road surfaces by controlling steering performance.
◆TRAC (Traction Control) 
Helps  to  maintain  drive  power  and  prevent  the  drive  wheels  from
spinning when starting the vehicl e or accelerating on slippery roads
◆Active Cornering Assist (ACA)
Helps  to  prevent  the  vehicle  from  drifting  to  the  outer  side  by  per-
forming  inner  wheel  brake  control  when  attempting  to  accelerate
while turning
To  keep  driving  safety  and  perf ormance,  the  following  systems
operate  automatically  in  respon se  to  various  driving  situations.
Be  aware,  however,  that  these  systems  are  supplementary  and
should  not  be  relied  upon  too  heav ily  when  operating  the  vehi-
cle.  

PRIUS_OM_OM47E09U_(U)
4214-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
◆Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the backward movement of the vehicle when start -
ing on an uphill
◆EPS (Electric Power Steering) 
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed  to
turn the steering wheel
◆E-Four (Electronic On-Demand  AWD system) (AWD models)
Automatically  switches  from  fron t-wheel  drive  to  all-wheel  drive
(AWD)  according  to  the  driving  conditions,  helping  to  ensure  re li-
able  handling  and  stability.  Ex amples  of  conditions  where  the  s ys-
tem will switch to AWD are when  cornering, going uphill, starting off
or accelerating, and when the road surface is slippery due to s now,
rain, etc.
The  slip  indicator  light  will  flash
while  the  TRAC/VSC/ABS  sys-
tems are operating.
When the TRAC/VSC/ABS systems are operating 

PRIUS_OM_OM47E09U_(U)
4234-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■Automatic system cancelation  of hill-start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn off in any of the following situations:
● Shift the shift position to P or N
● The accelerator pedal is depressed
● The parking brake is engaged
● No more than 2 seconds have elapsed after the brake pedal is re leased.
■ Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, brake assist, VSC, TRAC and
hill-start assist control systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the brake pedal
is  depressed  repeatedly,  when the  hybrid  system is started or just  after  the
vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indicate that a mal function has
occurred in any of these systems.
● Any  of  the  following  conditions  may  occur  when  the  above  system s  are
operating. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occur red. 
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard also after the vehicle comes to a s top.
■ ECB operating sound
ECB  operating  sound  may  be  heard  in  the  following  cases,  but  it   does  not
indicate that a malfunction has occurred.
● Operating sound heard from the engine compartment when the brak e pedal
is operated.
● Motor  sound  of  the  brake  system  heard  from  the  front  part  of  th e  vehicle
when the driver’s door is opened.
● Operating sound heard from the engine compartment when one or t wo min-
utes passed after the stop of the hybrid system.
■ Active Cornering Assist operation sounds and vibrations
When  the Active  Cornering Assist  is  operated,  operation  sounds  and  vibra-
tions may be generated from the brake system, but this is not a malfunction.
■ EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a motor sound (whirring so und) may be
heard. This does not indicate a malfunction.
■ Automatic reactivation  of TRAC and VSC systems
After  turning  the  TRAC  and  VSC  systems  off,  the  systems  will  be   automati-
cally re-enabled in the following situations:
● When the power switch is turned off
● If  only  the  TRAC  system  is  turned  off,  the  TRAC  will  turn  on  wh en  vehicle
speed increases
If  both  the  TRAC  and  VSC  systems  are  turned  off,  automatic  re-e nabling
will not occur when vehicle speed increases.