Page 341 - Acceleration News Today

The throttle on the toyota we had reports of rapid acceleration and several reports of rapid acceleration in the 1996 camry, the vehicle that mr. lee was driving the day of the accident. so i dont think that the rapid acceleration is limited to the recall that is currently in place. >> youre mr. lees new attorney, i understand. when did you start piecing together this defense for him? >> well, i came on to his case after the trial had completed and then during the sentencing phase and then recen...

Another car stopped at a red light killing three people. at his 2007 trial, this is in 2007 now, lee insisted he did everything he could to stop his car but he was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide and got the maximum sentence. eight years in prison, and he is still behind bars. >> i step on the brake but its not working. i yelled to my family that brakes not working! >> now his is among a growing number of cases getting new attention after toyotas admitted problem with sudden acceleratio...

Well, unlike mr. toyoda, ray lahood is not a brand name. he is the secretary of transportation and today, he, too, was on the hot seat for what the safety watchdogs in his department did and perhaps did not do about the toyota problem. more on that angle from joe johns. >> reporter: toyota is on the hot seat this week in washington but its nhtsa, the national highway traffic safety administration, the feds who were supposed to be looking out for motorists, who are taking a real beating here, acc...

Have been recalled worldwide. what do you do for your customers now? >> translator: first of all, to our customers, i would like to say that toyota vehicles are safe. for example, customers are perhaps most concerned about unintended acceleration. and they might be concerned about our electronic throttle control system may have a problem, but i am here to explain to the american people that our engineers tried to reproduce those problems, alleged problems, and theyve been working very hard, and ...

>> reporter: when the chief executive of toyota had been revered for quality confesses to losing sight of safety, it is of concern to all drivers. akio toyoda says his company was thinking about expansion and not enough about making safe cars. >> these priorities became confused. i intend to further improve on the quality of the safety. >> reporter: but promises may not be enough for toyota owners who are shaken by reports of runaway cars especially when the u.s. company sales chief says that re...

Disturbances to the system unintended acceleration, despite concerted efforts." leak trickal engineering consultant dr. anthony anderson told cnn that the report was "seriously deficient" a skepticism shared by some lawmakers. >> was the interim report produced by ex-pon nent inc., to justify toyotas pockets equivalent of junk science and how much credibility should it be give fwhin committee and american consumers? >> there was a comment made by one of the congressmen yesterday we want to look ...

If so, answer in the affirmative. >> larry: wewere back with aki toyoda, the president and ceo of toyota motor company. you discussed taking responsibility. what do you do, mr. toyoda, with that responsibility? more than 8 million vehicles have been recalled worldwide. what do you do for your customers now? >> translator: first of all, to our customers i would like to say that toyota vehicles are safe. for example, customers are perhaps most concerned about unintended acceleration, and they migh...

Were hearing from people is, they just want to know what to do with their car or what to do in the instance of sudden acceleration. its more about preparation than analyzing for the long-term impact of this brand. so the top most common questions. will turning the car off tour putting it in neutral help with a stuck accelerator? and theres also, should i shut off the engine while driving? these are the top things that people are now asking. are the vehicles that have been repaired now safe to dr...

And getting caught completely by surprise when the story blew up in their faces last year. joan claybrook used to run nhtsa during the carter administration. now shes a consumer advocate. >> i think they lack leadership. i dont think there was an enforcement mentality. this agencys a cop. its a policeman. it should act like a cop. >> reporter: so just how asleep at the switch was nhtsa? the house energy and commerce committee says that since the year 2000, nhtsa has received 2600 complaints abou...

>> i think they lack leadership. i dont think there was an enforcement mentality. this agency is a cop t is a policeman. it should act like a cop. >> reporter: so, just how asleep at the switch was nhtsa? the house energy and commerce committee says that since the year 2000, nhtsa has received 2600 complaints about sudden, unintended acceleration in toyota cars, along with six petitions requesting investigations. state farm insurance company is now confirming that it first alerted the agency to ...