Driver error was behind 39 of 40 instances of “sudden acceleration”
A recent report conducted by NASA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the U.S. has vindicated Toyota with respect to last year’s recalls due to “sudden acceleration.” Of the 58 cases reported, 18 were dismissed out of hand. Of the remaining 40, 39 of them were found to have no cause; the remainder being an instance of “pedal entrapment.” One investigator says most of the cases involved “pedal misapplication”—that is, “the driver stepped on the gas rather than the brake or in addition to the brake.” Plaintiffs suing Toyota over the recall say they will nonetheless push ahead with their lawsuit.