Personal Injury Law

Government considers brake override requirements

By Kristina Labanauskas

Today the Department of Transportation revealed that it might recommend that every newly manufactured vehicle sold in the U.S. be equipped with brakes that can override the gas pedal. This is on the heels of Toyota officials' third congressional hearing on lethal safety defects for Toyota.

Federal safety officials increased to 52 the number of reported deaths linked to sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles, through the end of last month. Previously, 34 deaths were blamed on the problem.

Toyota advised all of its future vehicles will have such a system and they it will retrofit many recalled vehicles, i.e., those that have been recalled in all because of sudden acceleration or braking defects. This is a backup safety system that would override the accelerator in the event that the brake and gas pedals were pressed at the same time.

Full post as published by Cook County Personal Injury Lawyer on March 02, 2010 (boomark / email).