Automobile版 - No Electronic Flaws In Toyota Prius, Govt Says |
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
b********6
发帖数: 35437 | 1 http://www.npr.org/2011/02/08/133594656/no-electronic-flaws-in-
The Obama administration's investigation into Toyota safety problems has
found no electronic flaws to account for reports of sudden, unintentional
acceleration and other safety problems. Government investigators said
Tuesday the only known cause of the problems are mechanical defects that
have been addressed by previous recalls.
The Transportation Department, which was assisted by engineers with NASA,
said its 10-month study of Toyota vehicles concluded there was no electronic
cause of unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. The study, which
was launched at the request of Congress, responded to consumer complaints
that flawed electronics could be the culprit behind Toyota's spate of
recalls.
"We enlisted the best and brightest engineers to study Toyota's electronics
systems and the verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for
unintended acceleration in Toyotas,'' Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
said in a statement.
Toyota has recalled more than 12 million vehicles globally since fall 2009
to address sticking accelerator pedals, gas pedals that became trapped in
floor mats, and other safety issues. The recalls have posed a major
challenge for the world's No. 1 automaker, which has scrambled to protect
its reputation for safety and reliability.
Toyota paid the U.S. government a record $48.8 million in fines for its
handling of three recalls. The company has said it has not found any flaws
in its electronic throttle control systems and said the previously announced
recalls have addressed the safety concerns.
LaHood said NASA engineers "rigorously examined'' nine Toyotas driven by
consumers who complained of unintended acceleration. NASA reviewed 280,000
lines of software code to look for flaws that could cause the acceleration.
Investigators tested mechanical components in Toyotas that could lead to the
problem and bombarded vehicles with electro-magnetic radiation to see
whether it could make the electronics cause the cars to speed up.
A preliminary part of the study, released last August, failed to find any
electronic flaws based on a review of event data recorders, or vehicle black
boxes.
Despite its findings, LaHood said the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration was considering new regulations to improve safety. They
include requiring brake override systems on all vehicles, standardizing
keyless ignition systems and requiring event data recorders, or vehicle
black boxes, on all new vehicles.
Transportation officials said they would also consider conducting more
research on electronic control systems and review the placement and design
of accelerator and brake pedals.
In Tokyo on Tuesday, Toyota reported a 39 percent slide in quarterly profit
but raised its full-year forecasts for earnings and car sales. It is a mixed
picture for the automaker, which is enjoying booming sales in high-growth
markets in Asia, Africa and South America, while facing lingering worries
about quality lapses in the U.S.
In addition to the recalls, Toyota began installing brake override systems
on new vehicles. The systems automatically cut the throttle when the brake
and gas pedals are applied at the same time. The company also created
engineering teams to examine vehicles that are the subject of consumer
complaints and appointed a chief quality officer for North America amid
complaints its U.S. division did not play a large enough role in making
safety decisions.
Consumer advocates and safety groups raised concerns that flawed electronics
could be causing unwanted acceleration in the Toyotas. They have questioned
the reliability of the event data recorders studied by the government,
saying they could be faulty or fail to tell the whole story of the
individual crashes.
Toyota's safety issues received broad attention from the government after
four people were killed in a high-speed crash involving a Lexus near San
Diego in August 2009.
NHTSA has received about 3,000 reports of sudden acceleration incidents
involving Toyota vehicles during the past decade, including allegations of
93 deaths. NHTSA, however, has confirmed just five of them.
Congress considered sweeping safety legislation last year that would have
required brake override systems, raised penalties on auto companies that
evade safety recalls and given the government the power to quickly recall
vehicles. But the bills failed to win enough support, and it remains unclear
if Congress will pursue similar legislation before the 2012 elections.
The National Academy of Sciences is conducting a separate study of
unintended acceleration in cars and trucks across the auto industry. The
panel is expected to release its findings this fall. | m**x
发帖数: 790 | 2 CNN today: Some auto safety advocates suggested new electronic throttle
control mechanisms on Toyota vehicles could be one cause.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/07/autos/toyota_nhtsa_nasa_acceler
一个prius不代表全部吧 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
