For many who have struggled with unmanageable electronic devices, it seemed all too likely that an automotive throttle system relying on electronics and software could go haywire. The incidents of uncontrolled acceleration that have plagued Toyota raised fears of a basic glitch in the system.
Now a 10-month government investigation has concluded that there is nothing to substantiate claims that Toyota’s electronics were to blame. Engineers and regulators said that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had correctly identified the causes of the incidents: Interference by floor mats, sticking gas pedals and drivers’ errors.
Critics fault the study as incomplete and it’s understandable that this verdict will be doubted, particularly by those whose direct experience leads them to believe otherwise. But the extensive testing by Transportation Department officials and NASA engineers should be reassuring. Automotive electronics are part of every modern vehicle, and evidence that electronic gremlins were loose would give drivers a lot to worry about.
To rule this out, NASA engineers reviewed 280,000 lines of software code, while mechanical components were put to the test and electronics were stressed with bombardments of electro-magnetic radiation.
“The verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Toyota has paid a price for the mechanical problems that led to terrible tragedies as well as widespread inconvenience. As a result, its products are safer today.
It’s been a lesson in the importance of safe product design, and the value of good oversight by a strong regulatory agency. The Department of Transportation is now considering new safety rules, and we hope this well-documented problem will convince the public and Congress that regulatory oversight of the industry is essential.
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Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.
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