The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has instructed Toyota and its agents in Saudi Arabia to launch an awareness campaign for the installation of “Smart Stop Technology,” the brake override system prevalent in the United States, in its vehicles to curtail the dangers associated with sudden acceleration.

The ministry said that the new technology would be imposed on automakers throughout the Kingdom in line with directives issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

“Smart Stop Technology (SST) is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of drivers on the roads,” the ministry said. The automaker and its local agent will notify consumers of when the awareness campaign will kick off, it added.

SST works by cutting down the engine’s power in the event the brake pedal gets stuck or malfunctions.

The campaign will raise awareness on the effective use of the system and how to deal with inability to control or stop the car.

The ministry has stressed that Toyota will impose the technology only after it has ensured that procedures are identical to those practiced in the US and internationally.

The Commerce Ministry said it closely monitors developments in the field of car safety and quality and will take measures to minimize road accidents within the framework of its mission to realize the highest quality standards to protect Saudi consumers.

Toyota and its agent Abdul Latif Jameel Group said on Saturday that the ministry’s instruction would not require any urgent recall of its vehicles as they are safe. “The requested feature is already installed in the 2012 and later models,” they said in a joint statement while stressing the company’s desire to apply safety measures.

“The ministry’s move aims at ensuring greater safety of drivers and passengers. At the same time, Toyota and Lexus models of 2011 and before are safe without BOS.”