Toyota to Open Safety Research Center in Michigan

Toyota Motor Corp. has announced it is launching a safety research center in Michigan that will focus on finding ways to reduce driver distraction.

Toyota said the center will be based in Ann Arbor, and will work with universities, hospitals, federal agencies and others to reduce the number of traffic fatalities and injuries. An initial area of focus will be driver distraction.

The world’s No. 1 automaker has recalled more than 11 million vehicles globally since the fall of 2009 as it scrambled to protect its reputation for safety and reliability.

In December, Toyota agreed to pay $32.4 million in fines to settle the investigation into its handling of two recalls. The latest settlement was on top of the $16.4 million fine Toyota paid earlier.