Release of findings on Toyota acceleration problem blocked: WSJ+

NEW YORK, July 31 Kyodo -
Senior officials of the U.S. Department of Transportation have temporarily
blocked the release of the findings of a U.S. safety agency regarding some
crashes stemming from sudden acceleration in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles, with
the probe indicating possible driver error in the accidents, The Wall Street
Journal reported Friday citing a recently retired agency official.
George Person, who retired from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration in July, said in an interview, ''The information was compiled.
The report was finished and submitted.''
''When I asked why it hadn't been published, I was told that the secretary's
office didn't want to release it,'' Person added in reference to Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood.
The agency has examined 40 Toyota vehicles since March that were involved in
accidents in which unintended acceleration was cited as the cause and
determined that 23 had accelerated suddenly, Person was quoted as saying.
In all 23 cases, electronic data recorders, or black boxes, showed the
vehicles' throttles were wide open and brakes were not depressed at the moment
of impact, suggesting the drivers had mistakenly stepped on gas pedals instead
of brakes, according to Person.
''It's driver error,'' he was quoted as saying.
A Transportation Department spokeswoman told the newspaper that the agency is
still reviewing data from the Toyota vehicles it is examining and its review is
not yet complete.
Toyota has recalled over 8 million vehicles worldwide, including some of its
top-selling models such as the Prius hybrid and the Camry sedan, over problems
involving accelerator pedals, floor mats and brakes that could cause sudden
acceleration.
==Kyodo
2010-07-31 22:51:31