Scotty! Â Riddle me this... I drive a 2009 Prius and its default setting is to play a very anxiety-inducing beep when the car is in reverse that sounds very much like that of a forklift backing up. My question isn't how to turn it off (although Prius owners who don't know how would surely love to know this is possible), but rather, WHAT MORON decided this was a good idea? Â On a forklift, it makes sense - people around it need to be warned that a very quiet-running vehicle might be about to run them over. Â But this is INSIDE the car. Â This has to be the stupidest feature I've ever seen on a car, and when I'm king, the guy who decided to implement it is getting beheaded second only to every other person who's ever decided to design something using screws requiring the use of a flat-tip screwdriver.
The rationale behind the annoying reverse beep is to remind the driver they have the car on and the car is in reverse. It’s annoying AF, and I think they figured it out on later hybrids not to have that annoying AF beep.  Instead they have the artificial sound emanating from the car.Â
For those that don't understand what the beeping is:
It is the car reminding you are still in reverse - but why is it doing that?
On the Prius, you are expected to manipulate the car's regenerative breaking characteristics while driving, this is done by shifting between D and B. Shifting into D is very similar to shifting into R - thus you are creating the danger that a fatigued driver might make the wrong input and sit at a stoplight in reverse and hit your car.
If your'e thinking "This doesn't happen", ask Ford Focus drivers. On a Ford you're also using the lever quite a bit, going from D to N (when your double neutral feature acts up and you don't want to burn yet another clutch), or sometimes even into S. So it is not uncommon to see a Focus leap backwards instead of forwards.
And in general, it is a good tool to help reduce fatigue related incidents and accidents that happen with cars that launch quickly in reverse or those that have odd shifters. Accidentally launching in reverse can lead to damaging your car, damaging other's property or even at worst hitting pedestrians and being liable for bodily harm. Having rear cross traffic alert would've been better, or autonomous breaking in reverse but the Prius ain't a luxury car - it's just a car built to be the best commuter possible.
It is just a tool meant to help you have a clearer mental picture of what's going on.
I'd be grateful that it does give you an option to turn it off, drivers of other Hybrids don't get such a luxury. on the Kia Niro Hybrid - it beeps at you, and it also sounds like a sinking submarine outside, it's just slightly less loud than the car's horn. At this point Niro owners are pulling fuses and going insane just to make the sound stop - stop it from beeping at them and stop it from waking up the entire neighborhood.
Here's a video of the internet of how that's like on the Niro (On the one I've been driving - a Euro Spec model it's just beeping this is the closest thing I've found).
when I'm king, the guy who decided to implement it is getting...
"when" - someone is optimistic eh...
when I'm king, the guy who decided to implement it is getting beheaded second only to every other person who's ever decided to design something using screws requiring the use of a flat-tip screwdriver
https://getjerry.com/advice/how-to-disable-the-toyota-prius-reverse-beep-by-elan-mcafee
