Feds to require emergency braking technology on future cars
United States highway safety authorities are currently instating regulations that would require vehicle manufacturers to equip future vehicles with a brake throttle override system in an attempt to decrease the number of automotive collisions caused by sudden, out of control vehicle acceleration.
The large number of consumer complaints regarding unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles received by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, along with a widely reported collision involving a 2009 Lexus ES 350, have prompted the division of the Department of Transportation to announce the planned safety regulation change.
According to the report resulting from the accident investigation following the Lexus collision, an improperly placed floor may have ensnared the vehicle’s accelerator pedal, causing it to speed through
suburban San Diego at more than 100 miles per hour on California Highway 125 before becoming involved with a fatal collision that killed an off-duty officer of the California Highway Patrol and three of his family members. Approximately 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles were recalled due to this floor mat installation problem. Millions more were later recalled due to their accelerator’s propensity for becoming stuck. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an emergency throttle shut off brake override feature could prevent an accident resulting from a stuck gas pedal.
As a San Jose auto accident lawyer, I hope this effort leads to safer driving conditions for everyone on the road. If you have been injured in an automobile accident caused by a defective automobile, please consider contacting a San Jose personal injury attorney.
