Auto braking issue

Setting the scene - two lane highway; speed limit 60mph; following a vehicle with approx. 2 sec interval; speed control engaged with lowest space setting engaged, highway widens to account for a left turning lane, leading vehicle identifies "turning left" into that lane, as vehicle enters turning lane it slows down for the left turn and my vehicle goes into "automatic emergency braking". My vehicle speed is rapidly reduced from 60 mph to 30 mph. If there would have been a vehicle behind me; I'm sure I would have been rear-ended. The car turning left was in the "left turning" lane when this happened and I had a clear lane in front of me.
Other than not using the speed control feature; is there some other feature with the auto braking system that will prevent this from happening?

 

Not that I have found. The radar sees the side of the other vehicle as an obstacle in the path of the Tacoma and applies the brakes. I sometimes set the cruise control with the automatic braking turned off depending on where i am.

 

Thank you HisDad. I'm curious as to why there isn't more responses. This issue seems to me to be very dangerous; especially if one is travelling at upper highway speeds on busy roads.
Strange.......

 

Because few read this 'technical chat' forum.

If you'd posted in the 3rd gen forum, you likely would have had multiple responses.

 

Thank you CB....I reposted it in the 3rd Gen forum.......

 

Dangerous? Yes. I don't think it's all that common though. These systems are only so smart. Every now and then someone mentions having an issue, but most never have an issue that isn't at least semi-understandable. I've had it activate once in one rental that I had, but I was definitely following closer than I should have been. I was not in any danger as I was comfortable with my control, but the system wasn't going to take chances.

That being said, I have a 2017 which came before that system became standard so luckily I don't have to worry about it day to day.

 

Thank you RedWings44 (2nd place in 1944 - not bad). Not wanting to insult or discourage answers; my thoughts are that any system that endangers life or may create accidents is not "smart". In fact; if systems are installed in devices that are to replace human thought or response; they should be smarter than humans or not be installed. My question is; "If you know that your vehicle "emergency brakes needlessly - as in my case and I and/or the dealership knows that this auto braking happens needlessly and we do nothing about it - Who is responsible IF my vehicle causes an accident where there is a death or heaven forbid a crippling?"
I'm far from being legal counsel but I believe I know the answer.......

 

There's a learning curve with the radar controlled braking. For example if you have it on and change into a lane with slower vehicles you can get a rude awakening when the brakes come on. What I did is pause the cruise control either by tapping the brake pedal or pulling the stalk with the controls forward. Then I change lanes and reactivate the cruise control. Since the radar senses the speed of the car in front of me, it matches that and doesn't need to apply the brakes.

We have a local street with a 30MPH speed limit. The police have always been pretty strict about enforcing the limit there. They'll give you maybe 5MPH above the limit, but that's it. The original reason was because the then police chief lived on one of the side streets. He's long gone, but the "tradition" is to vigorously enforce the limit. I set my cruise control to 31MPH, but turn the radar off when I use it there. I don't know why but something on the road was causing the radar to slow the truck down for no obvious reason.

 

Cruise control is for highways, open spaces between cars, consistent speeds. And ALWAYS under suspicion of causing accidents, radar or not. Learn its characteristics and adapt to them.

Auto-braking is here, mandated by the government just like higher MPG which means hybrid and EV. California says "cannot sell any gas-powered vehicles by 2035".

Enforced safety on the road makes people who want full freedom to do "whatever they want" mad. Just like password standards on computer accounts at work. Just like building standards when you want to remodel.

Gone are the days of just letting people fail like the 1800s, early 1900s. Welcome to the age of "we will protect you from yourself".