Analysis finds drivers did not apply brakes in runaway Toyotas
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has analyzed the “black box” event data recorders in dozens of Toyota vehicles involved in crashes linked to unintended acceleration, according to an exclusive Wall Street Journal report. The DOT found that the throttle was wide open but the brakes were not engaged in those instances. This may suggest driver error, rather than an electronic or mechanical defect in the cars, as the cause for those accidents. A formal study has not yet been issued. (Read our follow up: "Are drivers to blame in Toyota unintended acceleration cases? It may be too early to tell.")
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) examined the “black boxes,” which records when the accelerator and brakes are depressed, as well as vehicle speed and other factors.
According to the WSJ, NHTSA studied 75 fatal crashes involving 93 deaths. Among those crashes, the only one in which NHTSA found the brakes were applied in the August incident involving a California Highway Patrol officer who was killed with his family in a Lexus. The cause of that high-speed incident was ruled to be floor mats holding the accelerator to the floor. It was that crash that sparked the high-profile investigation into unintended acceleration last year. (Read “Misaligned floor mat may have caused calamity.”)
Beyond this reported analysis, which NHTSA has not released, the auto safety agency commissioned two related studies from National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and NASA. The space agency is investigating the function of electronic controls in Toyota products to ensure they comply with the latest electronic safety standards, with a report expected next month, and the NAS review of potential causes for unintended acceleration in all cars is expected to follow next year.
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