Toyota Tsusho Corporation ("Toyota Tsusho") has commenced operation of the infrastructure cooperative hazard avoidance system "ITS* Smart Pole" installed at the traffic junction of Showamachi 1-chome in Toyota City on July 30, 2021. This project is implemented by Toyota City, Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Transportation Research Institute, and Toyota Mobility Foundation as a part of Operation Zero Accident, a public-private collaboration project being promoted for the purpose of reducing fatal traffic accidents under the framework of Toyota City's council for promoting social collaboration demonstrations.

Although the number of traffic accidents in Toyota City is on a decreasing trend, it faces the issue of having the highest number of traffic accident fatalities in 2019 and 2020 within Aichi Prefecture, when Nagoya City is not taken into account.

“Strive for the elimination of traffic casualties and contribute to the creation of a safe and comfortable mobility society” is one of the key sustainability issues (materiality) formulated by Toyota Tsusho in 2018. This time, Toyota Tsusho participated in the installation of ITS Smart Pole—part of the measures under Operation Zero Accident—for the purpose of spreading and developing Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and verifying them for practical application.

ITS Smart Pole is a multi-function utility pole install with information technology devices such as cameras and sensors for detecting vehicles and pedestrians in the vicinity of traffic junctions, communication devices, and LED signboards. The ITS Smart Pole installed at a complicated traffic junction detects, in real time, pedestrians and vehicles approaching the junction and uses LED signboards to visually draw the attention of those on approaches without the right-of-way. This is the first installation in Japan of the ITS Smart Pole using LED signboards.

*ITS： Intelligent Transport Systems