Government ups number of alleged Toyota deaths to 89

[OhioChick]

Source: USA Today

May 25, 2010
07:42 PM

The government has upped the number of deaths that are alleged to have resulted from runaway Toyota vehicles due to unintended acceleration to 89. That's up from 52 since the number was last updated this year.

Then, like now, these aren't validated cases. As Toyota notes in its reponse, "many complaints in the NHTSA database, for any manufacturer, lack sufficient detail that could help identify the cause of an accident." The count is based on people writing in to make reports often before an investigation is conducted. From the Associated Press:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that from 2000 to mid-May, it had received more than 6,200 complaints involving sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles. The reports include 89 deaths and 57 injuries over the same period.

Toyota said in a statement that it "sympathizes with the individuals and families involved in any accident involving our vehicles. We are making an all-out effort to ensure our vehicles are safe and we remain committed to investigating reported incidents of unintended acceleration in our vehicles quickly."

Toyota recalled eight models in late January to fix sticky pedals that can lead to unintended acceleration -- the car taking off on its own. It followed another recall due to floor mats that can jam under accelerator pedals.



Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/05/government-ups-number-of-alleged-toyota-deaths-to-89/1

[Omaha Steve]

1. A little of the tip of the iceberg is now showing

You beat me to the post.

K&R!