August 03, 2010

You Can't Handle The Truth

If The Wall Street Journal is correct, the federal government is covering-up its knowledge of the falsity of sensational accounts of "unintended acceleration" in Toyota vehicles.

Earlier this year, Toyota acknowledged that it had problems with floor mats that might interfere with gas pedals and condensation in pedal housing that might briefly cause a pedal to stick. It recalled all vehicles that might have these problems.

But the recall led to weeks of hysterical headlines and congressional buffoonery over claims of another kind -- electronic glitches causing "sudden unintended acceleration."

According to last Friday's Journal, George Person, chief of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Recall Management Division, who retired last month after 27 years, said that the NHTSA had inspected 23 vehicles in which sudden acceleration had occurred.

In all 23 cases the vehicles' electronic data recorders showed the car's throttle was wide open and the brake was not depressed. In other words, the drivers were stepping on the gas pedal, not the brake.

Person said...
"The agency has for too long ignored what I believe is the root cause of these unintended acceleration cases," he said. "It's driver error."
But this isn't news to ad contras. What's really news is that the government is refusing to release this information.

From the Journal...
Senior officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation have at least temporarily blocked the release of findings by auto-safety regulators that could favor Toyota...
"It has become very political. There is a lot of anger towards Toyota," Mr. Person said. Transportation officials "are hoping against hope that they find something that points back to a flaw in Toyota vehicles."
The government is embarrassed by the shrill ravings of grandstanding congressmen. The NHTSA is afraid of claims that it is "in bed with the auto industry." The press is embarrassed by its sensational repeating of unsubstantiated charges.

And the truth goes unreported.

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