Today, even a regular mid-market car can feature a plethora of displays, controls and meters, all vying for attention and increasing the risk of driver distraction.
Toyota is researching how best to keep the driver focused on the road without sacrificing any of the benefits offered by sophisticated on-board information systems.
The Japanese giant is working with Microsoft and Infosys as its partners in 'DARV 1.5', the latest generation of Toyota's Driver Awareness Research Vehicle.
Think of a car that can work like a tablet, recognising you and automatically presenting an information menu on its side window as you approach.
Touch and swipe the glass and you are up to speed on your route, your personal schedule, weather conditions and where to stop for more fuel en route, even before you've sat behind the wheel.
This means that once on your way, there are fewer issues needing your attention, other than the road ahead and traffic conditions around you.
Osamu Nagata, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, said: "Our society is on the cusp of a revolution in personal mobility.
"Slowly but surely, new technologies are changing how we think about automobiles and transportation, from intelligent automated systems that team up with drivers to improve safety, to zero-emissions vehicles that emit nothing but water vapour...
"These technologies will help save lives, improve the environment, create jobs and help us maintain technical leadership in a field that is an important contributor to economic growth."
