Mar 16, 2010 7:39am
Claybrook on Her Former Department: ‘a Lapdog not a Watchdog’
EmailOn ‘GMA’ this morning to discuss the issues surrounding runaway Toyota Priuses former NHTSA chief Joan Claybrook told me, “The real issue here is not this one particular vehicle and this one particular driver but rather what Toyota has done is manufactured vehicles that are running away.”
She also criticized the Department of Transportation saying they need to issue standards for electronic systems in vehicles adding, “They need to get back to basics for the American public and really care about them enough to get these cars fixed.”
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“She also criticized the Department of Transportation saying they need to issue standards for electronic systems in vehicles..” is quite right.
Well, because, matter is not which vehicle has problem or not, but is which problems in electronic systems make vehicles run faster than drivers intend…and,
or, whether electronic systems make vehicles run faster than drivers intend or not…, which is also to be proved
Posted by: Mari Tomita (7thclouds) | March 16, 2010, 8:24 am 8:24 am
Toyota has gone to great lengths to try and discredit this single report…..yet we know for certain, that other cars have been just as unpredictable, and in far too many of those cases, people have died.
It is time for the “watchdog” to have the car examined by the competition, in the industry, who will have nothing to gain, in “covering up” the problem. I suspect that GM, Ford, or Chrysler, could easily identify the problem, if given the opportunity.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | March 16, 2010, 10:08 am 10:08 am
The “ludicrous” point to me is people are still purchasing Toyota’s! Still commercials on tv for them…….unbelievable!
Posted by: Lyineyes1956 | March 16, 2010, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm
What is “really ludicrous” is that until recently, there was no pattern of accidents with Toyotas/Priuses… and now everybody and their brother are claiming runway Toyotas.
Posted by: Wishy | March 16, 2010, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
ABC News, please investigate and report on the control systems of the Prius.
If all controls go through a CPU and there is no manual or mechanical fail safe for electronic glitches, there should be a ban on these cars.
I cannot imagine calling 911 instead of turning off the switch or putting the car in neutral in the event of unconrollable acceleration, and cannot believe that a car could be sold that would prevent me from doing so.
I just want to know the truth.
As far as the Claybrook story goes, it’s nothing more than business as usual. We’ve heard the same thing over the years regarding the FAA and airlines, the FCC and broadcasters, and the FDA and the drug companies.
We have no reasonable expectation of legitimate government when the SCOTUS decrees that the flow of corporate money to politicians cannot be impeded.
Posted by: Tom | March 16, 2010, 7:52 pm 7:52 pm
That’s what government has been about, for far too long…..selling out to the special interests.
That’s how members of the government leave Washington far richer, than when they arrived.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | March 17, 2010, 12:02 pm 12:02 pm