Toyota Ideas for Good

           While I was watching some thrilling television yesterday (it must have been good because I have no recollection of what it was) a Toyota commercial came on that caught my attention and fell perfectly into the lap of my new blog baby—social responsibility!

           After the whole Toyota gas pedal recall issue, the company has stepped up its PR game, using its problems to create a new following, and has bounced back in the automobile industry. If you haven't seen it, the new Toyota campaign is something they are calling "Toyota Ideas for Good." It's basically a program that is applying car safety technology to other aspects of life, such as preventing sports-related head injuries. They are looking for people to submit ideas to their "challenge" of finding the best applications for their technology and offering prizes... like new cars!... to the winners. I can't find a web version of the actual commercial, but this video gives you the same idea, The Challenge: Toyota Ideas for Good
          In the challenge, applicants choose one of five "Toyota Technologies"
               1. T.H.U.M.S. 
                 2. Solar Powered Ventilation System 
                 3. Hybrid Synergy Drive
                 4. Advanced Parking Guidance System
                 5. Touch Tracer Display
and apply it in a way to answer the question, "How would you use our technology to make the world a better place?" When it really comes down to it, Toyota is sharing everything it has learned about safety, technological advancements and efficiency, in an effort to improve the lives of others, protect the environment, and of course, secure their place on the automotive food-chain. They may have learned the hard (and expensive) way, but in the end it seems as if it is paying off for everyones benefit.
           Take a second to check out the website, who knows... you may have the next life-changing idea!