Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
Toyota Motor Corporation can breathe a sigh of relief after a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation. regarding an investigation into unintended acceleration in certain Toyota models.
Toyota has been under tremendous scrutiny the last several months for producing faulty parts in vehicles which have led to serious accidents all over the country.
Our Boston personal injury lawyers want buyers to beware prior to purchasing their next vehicle. Despite the outcome of the recent investigation by NHTSA, car manufacturers produce thousands of vehicles a year and it is the industry’s responsibility to make sure they are safe and functioning properly.
The government made its announcement after testing fewer than 100 Toyotas. Toyota sold more than 8 million vehicles last year.
Faulty parts like accelerator pedals and floor mats causing the car to accelerate without the driver operating can lead to a serious or fatal Boston car accident.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) employed engineers from NASA to study and test potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in certain models of Toyotas. NASA engineers, experienced in computer controlled electronic systems, software integrity, and electromagnetic interference; found no electronic defects in Toyota vehicles.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “We enlisted the best and brightest engineers to study Toyota’s electronics systems, and the verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas.”
According to a follow-up statement posted on Toyota.com by Steve St. Angelo, Toyota’s Chief Quality Officer for North America said “Toyota welcomes the findings of NASA and NHTSA regarding our Electronic Throttle Control System with intelligence (ETCS-i) and we appreciate the thoroughness of their review.”
St. Angelo continues by stating “We will continue to develop and equip Toyota and Lexus vehicles with industry-leading safety technologies, including many based on breakthroughs in sophisticated electronics systems. We will also continue to cooperate fully with NHTSA and respected outside experts in order to help ensure that our customers have the utmost confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles.”
The NHTSA is proposing the following actions be taken following the recent investigation of Toyota:
-Look into the placement and design of brake and accelerator pedals to determine if placement can be improved.
-Administer research on reliability and security of electronic control systems.
-Require that event data recorders and brake override systems be installed in all passenger vehicles, as well as, making keyless ignition systems a standard operation by the end of this year.
“While today marks the end of our study with NASA, our work to protect millions of American drivers continues,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “The record number of voluntary recalls initiated by automakers last year is also very good news, and shows that we can work cooperatively with industry to protect consumers.”
It should be noted that Toyota recalled almost 8 million vehicles in the last 2 years for the sticky pedal and pedal entrapment by floor mats. Failure to recall in a timely manner led to $48.8 million in civil penalties cited by the government for these actions.
If you or someone you know have been injured in an accident or by a defective product,contact the experienced attorneys at Jeffrey S. Glassman to discuss your rights. Call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.