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Do you have the '16 Prius? Does it beep in reverse?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by lamontcranston, Jan 18, 2016.

  1. bigcwill

    bigcwill Junior Member

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    If any Prius drivers truly need a CONSTANT reminder that you are in reverse, you truly don't need to be driving.

    Hint: When you look out the window and you are not making forward progress...you are probably in reverse.

    Hint #2: Since you just put the car in reverse... you are probably in reverse.

    Hint#3: The rearview camera kicks on in the 2106... probably indicating reverse.

    Clueless Me: I would have NEVER figured that out without BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP ... The miles just kept going by with no forward progress whatsoever.

    Once again, the Prius saves the day. Sooner or later, your IQ should kick in here somewhere and you should take the hints, or you truly don't need to be behind the wheel.
     
    #21 bigcwill, Jan 20, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2016
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    80% of prius drivers are over 60.:p
     
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  3. HGS

    HGS Member

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    Not sure I can agree with the belief that having a reverse beep is a bad thing. Humans make mistakes and get distracted. It's a part of life. Put a car in reverse then momentarily become distracted by something or someone (a screaming child in the back seat, etc.) and press the gas thinking you're in drive and cause an accident.

    Using your logic, airline pilots don't need safety reminders of low airspeed, gear or flap position, too low to terrain, and many other lights, bells and whistles. Airline pilots are highly intelligent, highly trained professionals that get tired, get distracted and lose focus occasionally. If they need reminders, I see no reason why highly intelligent drivers don't occasionally need reminders.

    If your son or daughter were run over by a distracted young mother, you would probably be the first to call for a mandatory reverse warning device.

    Safely and accident prevention should be important to every driver, and I am glad my Prius has a reverse warning beep.

    Maybe you are "always" operating at 100% concentration, I am not. Don't fault others if they enjoy an added layer of safety. If you don't need a reverse beep, then turn it off yourself or take it to a dealer and have them turn it off. I have the equipment to turn it off, I just choose not to.

    Cheers.
     
  4. bigcwill

    bigcwill Junior Member

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    You should hire someone to stand in your kitchen and yell "SHARP", "SHARP", "SHARP", "SHARP", SHARP", every time you pull out a knife because you never know when most knives are really sharp. You need that added layer of safety because most ARE sharp and 100% concentration says that knives are sharp, but I get that is a lot to consider at 100% concentration you may not realize that reverse means REVERSE, you aren't there yet when it comes to knives and their sharpness or whether they are really in sharp mode.

    You do know that NO other car WARNS you that you are in reverse? So good choice buying a car that gives a second opinion as to whether you are going forward or backward. Do you realize how STUPID that makes Prius drivers seem?
     
  5. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    @bigcwill The Prius has a shift lever that's unusual in that it returns to centre. This means you don't have the physicality and visual feedback you have with a traditional, mechanical shift lever. Toyota's erring on the side of caution, considering the realities of attention lapses.

    You're not alone in your opinion of this, lots of owners are less than impressed with the beep. Some are ok with it. Leave it at that?
     
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  7. bigcwill

    bigcwill Junior Member

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    o.k.
     
    #27 bigcwill, Jan 20, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2016
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  8. energyandair

    energyandair Active Member

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    Wow! I had thought that I didn't like the repeated beeps.

    I do however like the single beep. It confirms that Reverse is engaged without me having to look and it does no harm.

    As for people who prefer the repeated beep, I may find it distracting, unnecessary and potentially dangerous but obviously they do not and it's in their car not mine so why should I care if they have theirs set up that way.
     
    #28 energyandair, Jan 20, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2016
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  9. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    i managed to back into a car from a parking spot even with the beep on once. shit happens. if you don't like it…follow the instructions online to disable it.

    btw the leaf does something similar, though it's exterior, but you do hear it inside too unless your music is on full blast. so prius is not so unique, and yes, one of the primary reasons this is done is because the physical position of the shifter is always the same.
     
  10. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    I've watched this thread long enough and now it's time to reveal the real reason for the back-up beep as explained by Toyota execs.

    In the same way that the external pedestrian noise was added to protect blind pedestrians who can't see the oncoming car, the internal back-up beep was added to protect blind drivers who can't see the dashboard indicator.

    Something like that. Or maybe I just made that up.
    It's one of those.
     
  11. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    A good sense of humor adds goodness to the world............thanks TonyPSchaefer!!
     
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  12. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    With our 2010 I've had to roll down the window and say stuff along the lines of "excuse me, coming through", when approaching folks on foot, say walking on a cul-de-sac type road with no sidewalk. Hitting the horn would make someone jump, seems aggressive. The noise maker's not a bad idea.

    They're not blind, just walking ahead.
     
  14. energyandair

    energyandair Active Member

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    It seems clear that Toyota should have used haptic feedback to give the driver a kick in the butt when shifting into reverse.:D
     
  15. HGS

    HGS Member

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    Humor works too! I'm eagerly waiting for the ultimate safety device; a self driving Prius that will take me to and from work while I read, text, and watch a movie.
     
  16. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    For some perverse reason, maybe because I strangely enjoy the angst the reverse beep seems to create, I sort of hope Toyota made it even MORE personally intrusive in the Gen 4.

    Make it an independent 6 speaker system that projects the reverse beep through the entire vehicle. Perhaps tie it to the dome light blinking in sync.

    Then just for kicks, make the ability to turn it off or reduce it, like solving the Da Vinci Code.

    The female manga character for the Japanese Commercial for the reverse beep should look and sound a lot like Roseanne Barr.

    Her catch phrase should be "I'm here! Grow up and Deal With Me!".
     
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  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I caught myself yesterday, backing out of a parking spot, turned the radio down (distraction). Came to a stop, then tried to go forward, quickly realized I was still in reverse, beeping and all.

    An old-school automatic shifter is just much better in this regard, lotsa physical/visual cues.
     
  18. civicdriver06

    civicdriver06 Active Member

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    If sombody needs the back up-beep all right,but I think Toyota should leave that decision up to the driver !
    Why do we have to go to the dealer to have it disabled ?
    It should be in the menu of the cars settings !
    Same thing goes for the feature to roll down all windows by using the buttons on the key, and why on earth is it disabled by default?
     
  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The back-up beep, and the pedestrian-alert speaker, are safety features. Neither are that effective, but that's the reason they're difficult to disable.
     
  20. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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    OP should consider staying away from new cars, chimes, beeps for: exiting the vehicle "car is still on", seatbelt, push start button, lane departure, IPA, and the usual 3-5 seconds in reverse :),etc.... : 新型プリウス紹介動画 ~レーンディパーチャーアラート・ブラインドスポットモニター編~ 【ネッツトヨタ三重】

     
    #40 Sergiospl, Jan 23, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2016