Toyota RAV4 PHEV 2023 Owner's Manual page 292

290 5-1. Before driving
WARNING
■
When driving the vehicle
●
Do not drive if you are unfamiliar
with the location of the brake and
accelerator pedals to avoid
depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accel-
erator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden accelera-
tion that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist
your body around, leading to a diffi-
culty in operating the pedals. Make
sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving
posture even when moving the
vehicle only slightly. This allows
you to depress the brake and accel-
erator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your
right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay
response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
●
The driver should pay extra atten-
tion to pedestrians when the vehicle
is powered only by the electric
motor (traction motor). As there is
no engine noise, the pedestrians
may misjudge the vehicle's move-
ment. Even though the vehicle is
equipped with the Acoustic Vehicle
Alerting System, drive with care as
pedestrians in the vicinity may still
not notice the vehicle if the sur-
rounding area is noisy.
●
Do not drive the vehicle over or
stop the vehicle near flammable
materials such as leaves, paper or
rags.
The exhaust system and exhaust
gases can be extremely hot. These
hot parts may cause a fire if there is
any flammable material nearby.
●
During normal driving, do not turn
off the hybrid system. Turning the
hybrid system off while driving will
not cause loss of steering or brak-
ing control. However, power assist
for the steering wheel may be lost
making it difficult to steer smoothly
before stopping the vehicle depend-
ing on the remaining charge in the
12-volt battery or usage conditions.
In this situation, you should pull
over and stop the vehicle as soon
as it is safe to do so. In the event of
an emergency, such as if it
becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way: P.526
●
Use engine braking (downshift) to
maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may
cause the brakes to overheat and
lose effectiveness. (P.315)
●
Do not adjust the position of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the
inside or outside rear view mirrors
while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of
vehicle control.
●
Always check that all passengers'
arms, head or other parts of their
body are not outside the vehicle.
■
When driving on slippery road
surfaces
●
Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering may cause tire slippage
and reduce your ability to control
the vehicle.
●
Sudden acceleration, engine brak-
ing due to shifting, or changes in
engine speed could cause the vehi-
cle to skid.
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