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What Does RCTA Mean On A Toyota Camry?

Toyota prides itself on manufacturing vehicles that are designed to make driving safer for both car users and pedestrians. Toyota has been researching ways to improve the safety of their vehicles for decades and their cars consistently achieve high results in Euro NCAP crash safety tests.

The Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA) is one of many safety features used in the Toyota ‘Integrated Safety Management Concept’. 

In this article, we look at exactly what the RCTA does and take a closer look at the other safety technologies available in the Toyota Camry. 

What Is The RCTA On A Toyota Camry?

RCTA stands for Rear Cross Traffic Alert and is one of many safety features installed in the Toyota Camry. The RCTA sensors monitor your surroundings while you are driving and parking your Toyota Camry, they work in a similar way to Blind Spot Monitoring sensors (BSM). 

Both the BSM and RCTA use a radar infrastructure to detect vehicles approaching the sides or rear of the vehicle. The RCTA is automatically activated when the car is put into reverse and the system is designed to warn the driver of any rear cross-traffic.

The RCTA in a Toyota Camry is made up of two short-range radar sensors, both of which monitor the car’s surroundings at a 120-degree angle.

The Rear Cross-Traffic Alert system is designed to function when the car is in reverse and traveling up to 5mph and it will detect approaching vehicles traveling between 5 and 18mph. 

The RCTA is installed as a collision prevention measure and the monitoring system will warn drivers when a vehicle is present in their blind spot. If another car is detected by the RCTA, a warning tone will be triggered and the indicator lights on the wing mirrors will flash.  

What Safety Features Are Included On A Toyota Camry?

The RCTA works to keep your car safe from collisions while you are in reverse. But it is not the only safety feature that is included on a Toyota Camry. The safety sensors can vary between Toyota models but here is a list of all of the features installed in the 2019 Toyota Camry that work to help prevent collisions with other cars and pedestrians: 

Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)

The BSM will trigger lights to illuminate your Camry‘s side mirror and a warning tone to sound when an approaching vehicle is detected in any of the car’s blind spots. 

Toyota Star Safety System

What Does RCTA Mean On A Toyota Camry?

The 2019 Toyota Camry is fitted with the Star Safety System. The Star Safety System is an integrated safety suite that helps to keep drivers and their cars safe from a collision. The Toyota Star Safety System includes the following features: 

  • Smart stop technology 
  • Traction control 
  • Brake assist 
  • Vehicles stability control
  • Electronic brake-force distribution 
  • Anti-lock brakes 

Toyota Safety Sense – P (TSS-P)

TSS-P is an advanced safety system in the Toyota Camry. The TSS-P includes the following safety features:

  • Lane departure alert
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Dynamic radar cruise control
  • Automatic high beams
  • Steering assist.

The Toyota Camry is one of the most popular sedans in the USA and it has a whole host of technology in place to keep you and your passengers safe. The RCTA is just one of many features installed to protect you and your car.

Be warned, not all models of the Camry have BSM and RCTA as standard and you may need to pay extra for the extra safety features.  

FAQs

How do you turn the RCTA off in a Toyota Camry?

If you decide you do not want to use the RCTA in your Camry, it is possible to turn the sensors off. To turn off the RCTA you will need to use the multi-information display (MID).

Open up the settings screen and search through until you find the BSM setting. You will then need to toggle the setting to OFF. It is important to note that in some Toyota models you may not be able to switch off the RCTA without also deactivating the BSM. 

When did Toyota add blind-spot monitoring?

Blind-spot monitoring is a fairly new technology, installed in certain car models to help prevent collisions by detecting approaching vehicles. Toyota first used blind-spot monitoring in their cars in 2014. Certain Toyota models have BSM and RCTA but you may need to pay extra for the more advanced safety package. 

Does the 2021 Toyota Camry have blind-spot monitoring?

The 2021 Toyota Camry has Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 and BSM installed in all of its trim levels. The 2021 Camry also has a birds-eye view camera with perimeter scan and clearance sonar with rear cross-traffic braking. 

Which Camry is most reliable?

What Does RCTA Mean On A Toyota Camry?

The Toyota Camry is one of the most popular Sedan cars used in the USA. The Camry is a popular choice for single drivers and families and its high performance in crash tests makes the Camry an appealing option for safety-conscious drivers.

Whilst the majority of Toyota Camry cars are considered to be reliable, the 2013 and 2015 models are considered to be most reliable when reading customer reviews and looking at user ratings. 

Is Rear Cross Traffic Alert worth it?

Any collision prevention systems are a valuable feature to have installed in your car. Designing cars to be as safe as possible is something many vehicle manufacturers have been focused on in recent years.

The RCTA can help to keep cars safe from damage and drivers and their passengers safe from potential harm.

The risk of collision is high when drivers are backing out of a driveway or parking space, the RCTA works by warning drivers if a vehicle is approaching from the sides in their rear blind spots. If you can’t put a price on your and your passenger’s safety then RCTA is definitely worth it. 

Conclusion

RCTA is an acronym for Rear Cross Traffic Alert. This is part of the Toyota Camry integrated safety management system concept. RCTA is just one of many features installed in Toyota vehicles designed to keep drivers safe and cars free from damage. 

The rear cross-traffic alert system uses radar technologies to detect any vehicles approaching the back of the car while you are reversing at speeds up to 5mph. We hope after reading this article you feel more informed about all of the safety features in the Toyota Camry.