RE: User Error Blamed For Toyota 'Sudden Acceleration'
Discussion
900T-R said:
Columnist Chris Theodore sums it up most succinctly in this month's Automotive Testing Technology magazine:
" The USA has by far the largest number of reported cases, even for common vehicles that are sold globally. It is no coincidence that a country with a laughable driver-education program, and the largest population of trial lawyers, has the greatest number of reported incidents and lawsuits."
I've been living in Houston for almost 3 years now and can say, hand on heart, that I have never seen such a poor driving. Not speeding (although that happens a lot), but just shear utterly rubbish driving. Not looking in mirrors, tail gating, random lane changes across 4 lanes of traffic, driving 20 mph below the speed limit in the 'fast lane' while texting (happens all the time), accelerating into you as you try to change lanes, slowing down when going up hills thereby causing massive tailbacks for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, etc. There's not a day that goes by without me witnessing some utterly insane driving error. " The USA has by far the largest number of reported cases, even for common vehicles that are sold globally. It is no coincidence that a country with a laughable driver-education program, and the largest population of trial lawyers, has the greatest number of reported incidents and lawsuits."
I put it all down to a few simple things:
- Automatic gears - cars are so easy to drive that you simply don't need to have two (or sometimes even one) hand on the wheel. When I tell people to stop texting/ talking on phones you always get a stare and a 'why?'
- No law to stop undertaking - its scary to do an emergency leap into the 'slow' lane when some d*ck comes hurtling up behind you and you realise that someone is doing the same up your inside lane!
- No law/ guidelines for which lane to be in - my wifes mothers excuse for driving at the exact speed limit in the outside lane is 'well, no one said I can't'. The 2 miles tailback because the inside lane is doing the same speed just doesn't seem to factor into the equation
- Americans like to see an open road in front of them - seriously, I see 4 cars across a 4 lane highway all travelling the same speed blocking EVERYONE behind pretty much daily
- Americans think their opinions are better/ more valid/ etc. than everyone elses, including other Americans - you could be the president and someone will still get in your way because they have every right to do that; f*ck social responsibility and all that liberal sh*t
Sorry its a rant, but I used to love driving and each day it just irritates me more. If it wasn't for the far better standard of living, more pay, better weather, better job, better economy and more welcoming people, I'd be back in the EU
TU Tuning said:
Unjust media and Government spin? Shocking that this should happen in the USA. Gotta feel for GM in all of this.
GM (who happen to be majority owned by the US government, and therefore funded by the US taxpayers including US media) came out of this very well. What a coincidence. One of the US Congressmen, during the Congregational hearing with Akio Toyoda said that Toyota should have some Americans on their Japanese board, and said it with a straight face. I guess he meant one of the Americans who had run GM or Chrysler into Chapter 11, who had produced cars which had numerous recalls for all sorts of safety reasons. Because the media, and I include the Daily Mail in that, kicked up such a fuss it will be interesting to see the headlines tomorrow morning saying that it wasn't Toyota at fault, just stupid people. Maybe The Daily Mail should have the headline "Don't drive if you can't tell your accelerator from your brake" - that would be a suitable retraction of the original story in my view, provided it was suitably worded in the article.
As much as I would like to see it, I doubt Toyota will do much with this in an overt way such as suing. It just isn't their way, although ToyotaPR have sent a tweet with a link to a story about it.
True, but I wonder if Toyota gave them a backhander to come up with this lol.
Seriously, if the accelerator jammed on full throttle not everyone would have had sufficient tim to even hit the brake. ie if you were in slow moving traffic, near the car in front, changing lanes etc.
Seriously, if the accelerator jammed on full throttle not everyone would have had sufficient tim to even hit the brake. ie if you were in slow moving traffic, near the car in front, changing lanes etc.
Stam said:
Yep...just as I expected. A few people file a genuine complaint, then every moron who can't tell their left foot from their right jumps on the bandwagon and starts claiming money...typical americans...pah..
Escort Si-130 said:
True, but I wonder if Toyota gave them a backhander to come up with this lol.
Seriously, if the accelerator jammed on full throttle not everyone would have had sufficient tim to even hit the brake. ie if you were in slow moving traffic, near the car in front, changing lanes etc.
Err if your too slow to operate the ignition key then you shouldn't be driving!Seriously, if the accelerator jammed on full throttle not everyone would have had sufficient tim to even hit the brake. ie if you were in slow moving traffic, near the car in front, changing lanes etc.
Stam said:
Yep...just as I expected. A few people file a genuine complaint, then every moron who can't tell their left foot from their right jumps on the bandwagon and starts claiming money...typical americans...pah..
True, but not everyone thinks like you and I. If that happened to me, first thing would be to press the brake, and if that never worked switch the engine off. It happened to me around 10 years ago with a vehicle that I was driving.
tr7v8 said:
Escort Si-130 said:
True, but I wonder if Toyota gave them a backhander to come up with this lol.
Seriously, if the accelerator jammed on full throttle not everyone would have had sufficient tim to even hit the brake. ie if you were in slow moving traffic, near the car in front, changing lanes etc.
Err if your too slow to operate the ignition key then you shouldn't be driving!Seriously, if the accelerator jammed on full throttle not everyone would have had sufficient tim to even hit the brake. ie if you were in slow moving traffic, near the car in front, changing lanes etc.
Stam said:
Yep...just as I expected. A few people file a genuine complaint, then every moron who can't tell their left foot from their right jumps on the bandwagon and starts claiming money...typical americans...pah..
It's great that Toyota are not going to get further hit for dumb Americans hitting the wrong pedal and then expecting to claim for it (don't know how they sleep at night) but its still shocking that there were 74 deaths as a result of "getting the pedals mixed up". Kinda basic driver training isn't it?
jamespink said:
It's great that Toyota are not going to get further hit for dumb Americans hitting the wrong pedal and then expecting to claim for it (don't know how they sleep at night) but its still shocking that there were 74 deaths as a result of "getting the pedals mixed up". Kinda basic driver training isn't it?
I think they just grouped any incident where someone was driving too fast as "stuck accelerator"There is a tendancy in america to leave cruise control on for long trips and slowly becoming a zombie until the person in front brakes suddenly taking a second to realise the view has changed and pile into the back of them. like everyone does on the m3 but with more lawyers and blame hurling
fatbutt said:
900T-R said:
Columnist Chris Theodore sums it up most succinctly in this month's Automotive Testing Technology magazine:
" The USA has by far the largest number of reported cases, even for common vehicles that are sold globally. It is no coincidence that a country with a laughable driver-education program, and the largest population of trial lawyers, has the greatest number of reported incidents and lawsuits."
I've been living in Houston for almost 3 years now and can say, hand on heart, that I have never seen such a poor driving. Not speeding (although that happens a lot), but just shear utterly rubbish driving. Not looking in mirrors, tail gating, random lane changes across 4 lanes of traffic, driving 20 mph below the speed limit in the 'fast lane' while texting (happens all the time), accelerating into you as you try to change lanes, slowing down when going up hills thereby causing massive tailbacks for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, etc. There's not a day that goes by without me witnessing some utterly insane driving error. " The USA has by far the largest number of reported cases, even for common vehicles that are sold globally. It is no coincidence that a country with a laughable driver-education program, and the largest population of trial lawyers, has the greatest number of reported incidents and lawsuits."
I put it all down to a few simple things:
- Automatic gears - cars are so easy to drive that you simply don't need to have two (or sometimes even one) hand on the wheel. When I tell people to stop texting/ talking on phones you always get a stare and a 'why?'
- No law to stop undertaking - its scary to do an emergency leap into the 'slow' lane when some d*ck comes hurtling up behind you and you realise that someone is doing the same up your inside lane!
- No law/ guidelines for which lane to be in - my wifes mothers excuse for driving at the exact speed limit in the outside lane is 'well, no one said I can't'. The 2 miles tailback because the inside lane is doing the same speed just doesn't seem to factor into the equation
- Americans like to see an open road in front of them - seriously, I see 4 cars across a 4 lane highway all travelling the same speed blocking EVERYONE behind pretty much daily
- Americans think their opinions are better/ more valid/ etc. than everyone elses, including other Americans - you could be the president and someone will still get in your way because they have every right to do that; f*ck social responsibility and all that liberal sh*t
Sorry its a rant, but I used to love driving and each day it just irritates me more. If it wasn't for the far better standard of living, more pay, better weather, better job, better economy and more welcoming people, I'd be back in the EU
Spot on
Seconded. 
These are the kind of w
kers that ruin society for everyone; The H&S wombles, the PC-brigade and the leeching lefties pander to them and introduce so much bureaucracy, red-tape and restrictions that the rest of us can't even explore original ideas. Society is dumbed-down and those that are actually capable of independent thought get penalised when they ignore the resulting outrageous regulations.
For what? To try and shield numpties from their own stupidity? That's an exercise in futility if ever I saw one!
These people need to be taught not just about their rights, but also their responsibilities. I.E. You can't just act like a fg idiot and then blame everyone else when you screw up. If you want to drive yourself to the shops; take some responsibility to learn how to control the car and how to drive properly. Don't rely on everyone else dumbing down to cater for you.
The ambulance-chasing bandwagon and the compensation culture that's manifest in the U.S. is infecting the U.K. like a paralysing disease. It's a prime example of how chavvy pondlife expect to live. The just consume without putting anything back into society - how the previous Government expected to sustain this "something for nothing" culture is anyone's guess (but would probably have involved taxing and fining people for innocent, everyday things).
Clivey said:
Mermaid said:
daveco said:
Can the people who made the false claims be prosecuted for wasting insurer's/law court's/Toyota's time?
That's a good idea...These are the kind of w
kers that ruin society for everyone; The H&S wombles, the PC-brigade and the leeching lefties pander to them and introduce so much bureaucracy, red-tape and restrictions that the rest of us can't even explore original ideas. Society is dumbed-down and those that are actually capable of independent thought get penalised when they ignore the resulting outrageous regulations.For what? To try and shield numpties from their own stupidity? That's an exercise in futility if ever I saw one!
These people need to be taught not just about their rights, but also their responsibilities. I.E. You can't just act like a f
g idiot and then blame everyone else when you screw up. If you want to drive yourself to the shops; take some responsibility to learn how to control the car and how to drive properly. Don't rely on everyone else dumbing down to cater for you.The ambulance-chasing bandwagon and the compensation culture that's manifest in the U.S. is infecting the U.K. like a paralysing disease. It's a prime example of how chavvy pondlife expect to live. The just consume without putting anything back into society - how the previous Government expected to sustain this "something for nothing" culture is anyone's guess (but would probably have involved taxing and fining people for innocent, everyday things).
I'm so interested to see what the mainstream media has to say about this!
Totally agree with the previous comments that it's no wonder this was made such a big deal of in the US, the claim culture over there(and we aint far behind) is just ridiculous.
these idiots have crashed their cars because either they are stupid or not paying attention, that ISN'T toyota's fault!
Really do think these idiots should be made to pay back all the money they've wasted, and if not the lawyers who brought the case should take a hit!!!
Rant over!
Stu
[Mod Edit - Please don't post links to your website as a signature]
People are Idiots.....accept it!
Totally agree with the previous comments that it's no wonder this was made such a big deal of in the US, the claim culture over there(and we aint far behind) is just ridiculous.
these idiots have crashed their cars because either they are stupid or not paying attention, that ISN'T toyota's fault!
Really do think these idiots should be made to pay back all the money they've wasted, and if not the lawyers who brought the case should take a hit!!!
Rant over!
Stu
[Mod Edit - Please don't post links to your website as a signature]
People are Idiots.....accept it!
Edited by Mr Will on Thursday 15th July 09:46
Stam said:
Yep...just as I expected. A few people file a genuine complaint, then every moron who can't tell their left foot from their right jumps on the bandwagon and starts claiming money...typical americans...pah..
"Only one of these fatal crashes has been attributed to a mechanical glitch - that was traced to a floor mat that forced the accelerator to remain depressed."That's why I removed my doormat.
richie99 said:
Even for the one case of a stuck acclerator would they not think of putting the 'tranny' in neutral. Really effective way of disconnecting the engine from the wheels. They could stamp on the acclerator to their heart's content then.
This is what I thought too as this story broke. The case of the family speeding down an American highway and crashing (fatally I must add) at 130mph due to "unintended acceleration" could have surely been stopped by putting the car into neutral?Whatever the cause turns out to be, this is still one of the worst PR disasters of all time surely? Memories of Concorde spring to mind!
ureile said:
fatbutt said:
900T-R said:
Columnist Chris Theodore sums it up most succinctly in this month's Automotive Testing Technology magazine:
" The USA has by far the largest number of reported cases, even for common vehicles that are sold globally. It is no coincidence that a country with a laughable driver-education program, and the largest population of trial lawyers, has the greatest number of reported incidents and lawsuits."
I've been living in Houston for almost 3 years now and can say, hand on heart, that I have never seen such a poor driving. Not speeding (although that happens a lot), but just shear utterly rubbish driving. Not looking in mirrors, tail gating, random lane changes across 4 lanes of traffic, driving 20 mph below the speed limit in the 'fast lane' while texting (happens all the time), accelerating into you as you try to change lanes, slowing down when going up hills thereby causing massive tailbacks for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, etc. There's not a day that goes by without me witnessing some utterly insane driving error. " The USA has by far the largest number of reported cases, even for common vehicles that are sold globally. It is no coincidence that a country with a laughable driver-education program, and the largest population of trial lawyers, has the greatest number of reported incidents and lawsuits."
I put it all down to a few simple things:
- Automatic gears - cars are so easy to drive that you simply don't need to have two (or sometimes even one) hand on the wheel. When I tell people to stop texting/ talking on phones you always get a stare and a 'why?'
- No law to stop undertaking - its scary to do an emergency leap into the 'slow' lane when some d*ck comes hurtling up behind you and you realise that someone is doing the same up your inside lane!
- No law/ guidelines for which lane to be in - my wifes mothers excuse for driving at the exact speed limit in the outside lane is 'well, no one said I can't'. The 2 miles tailback because the inside lane is doing the same speed just doesn't seem to factor into the equation
- Americans like to see an open road in front of them - seriously, I see 4 cars across a 4 lane highway all travelling the same speed blocking EVERYONE behind pretty much daily
- Americans think their opinions are better/ more valid/ etc. than everyone elses, including other Americans - you could be the president and someone will still get in your way because they have every right to do that; f*ck social responsibility and all that liberal sh*t
Sorry its a rant, but I used to love driving and each day it just irritates me more. If it wasn't for the far better standard of living, more pay, better weather, better job, better economy and more welcoming people, I'd be back in the EU
I would prefere drugs to keep the bloodpresure down instead of hiring a moron to do a job whose fellow countrymen are not capable to do.
Has there ever been any media coverage of the amount of US made vehicles that people have had 'sudden acceleration' problems in? Crashes etc?
Be good to know statistics compared to European and Japanese models to the 'home grown' cars and trucks. I bet there are a damn sight more than Toyota had thrown at them.
Be good to know statistics compared to European and Japanese models to the 'home grown' cars and trucks. I bet there are a damn sight more than Toyota had thrown at them.
andyps said:
TU Tuning said:
Unjust media and Government spin? Shocking that this should happen in the USA. Gotta feel for GM in all of this.
GM (who happen to be majority owned by the US government, and therefore funded by the US taxpayers including US media) came out of this very well. What a coincidence. One of the US Congressmen, during the Congregational hearing with Akio Toyoda said that Toyota should have some Americans on their Japanese board, and said it with a straight face. I guess he meant one of the Americans who had run GM or Chrysler into Chapter 11, who had produced cars which had numerous recalls for all sorts of safety reasons. Because the media, and I include the Daily Mail in that, kicked up such a fuss it will be interesting to see the headlines tomorrow morning saying that it wasn't Toyota at fault, just stupid people. Maybe The Daily Mail should have the headline "Don't drive if you can't tell your accelerator from your brake" - that would be a suitable retraction of the original story in my view, provided it was suitably worded in the article.
As much as I would like to see it, I doubt Toyota will do much with this in an overt way such as suing. It just isn't their way, although ToyotaPR have sent a tweet with a link to a story about it.
nsmith1180 said:
TU Tuning said:
Unjust media and Government spin? Shocking that this should happen in the USA. Gotta feel for GM in all of this.
Dont understand that one. Good for Toyota to have their name cleared a bit but did you gotta feel for GM?GM sold more cars as a result of this not less. No GM product was affected. The only other marks you have to feel for are Peugeot and Citroen because they shared the Aygo/107/c1 and had to recall cars too.
NitroNick said:
TU Tuning said:
Gotta feel for GM in all of this.
? 
BBS-LM said:
TU Tuning said:
Unjust media and Government spin? Shocking that this should happen in the USA. Gotta feel for GM in all of this.
As an after thought, I really do not feel sorry for GM.
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