Prius Missile
Prius Missile (Japanese: プリウス・ミサイル, Hepburn: Puriusu-Misairu) is an internet slang originating from Japan in the 2010s, blaming the Toyota Prius driven by older drivers in Japan for causing traffic accidents and crashing into buildings, such as convenience stores. This slang has been speculated to have emerged from the fact that the vehicle was often seen crashed in news reports of traffic accidents caused by sudden unintended acceleration, such as the Higashi-Ikebukuro runaway car crash in 2019.
Origin
[edit]The slang originated in the end of 2010s in Japan, due to the increase in car accidents caused by older drivers accidentally accelerating. The internet compared the cases of these cars suddenly accelerating into buildings and crashing to that of a missile.[1] The brand and make of the Toyota Prius was combined with image of a missile due to the anecdotal observation that many of the drivers involved in such accidents were driving the Prius. The Higashi-Ikebukuro runaway car crash in 2019 was one notable example.[2]
However, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the accident rate of Prius does not differ from other vehicles.[3] The Higashi-Ikebukuro runaway crash is deemed to be not caused by the 2nd Prius's model's failure.[4]
According to Masaki Kubota, the viral spread of the slang and the creation of the Prius's public image as a crash-prone car is thought to be caused by the extremely large amount of the car in use, the car being popular among older drivers, older drivers usually being overconfident in their driving skills, and the Prius's significance as a well-known car brand.[5]
Impact and prevention
[edit]The slang went viral after the Higashi-Ikebukuro runaway car crash in April 2019, as the number of Google searches skyrocketed in that month.[6] Hashtags on Twitter, like #プリウスミサイル (Prius Missile) and #今日のプリウス (Today's Prius) were seen due to the frequency of the vehicle's appearance during car crashes involving older drivers.[7]
Yoshida Moritaka told the shareholders in June 2019 that the company is cooperating with the police investigations on accidents and that he will do everything he can do for a safe car society. In July 2020, Toyota Prius PHV was equipped with features to prevent sudden acceleration.[7] The 5th Prius in 2022 had changes in shift levers and pedals to prevent sudden accelerations.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ reserved, NEXTAGE Co , Ltd All rights. "プリウスミサイルの真相と事故防止策！事故が多いのは勘違い？". ネクステージ (in Japanese). Retrieved November 11, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "自動車情報誌「ベストカー」". 自動車情報誌「ベストカー」 (in Japanese). Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ "ハイブリッド車等の交通事故実態について" (PDF).
- ^ "車に不具合見つからず＝８７歳男性、運転ミスか－母子死亡の暴走事故・警視庁：時事ドットコム". web.archive.org. April 20, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ "なぜ「プリウス」はボコボコに叩かれるのか 「暴走老人」のアイコンになる日". ITmedia ビジネスオンライン (in Japanese). Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ "2019年から検索急上昇！ 「プリウスミサイル」というネットスラングが流行したワケ | Merkmal（メルクマール）". Merkmal（メルクマール） | 交通・運輸・モビリティ産業の最新ビジネスニュース (in Japanese). February 9, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ a b "大事なのは事故を未然に防ぐこと トヨタが「急アクセル時加速抑制機能」を導入した理由". webCG (in Japanese). Retrieved December 6, 2024.
- ^ "もう「プリウスミサイル」とは呼ばせない！ 世界で話題のトヨタ新型「5代目プリウス」がメチャ凄い！ もはや「プリウスロケット」といえる走りの魅力とは". くるまのニュース (in Japanese). December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2024.