Toyota To Furnish All New Vehicles With Brake Override
By Chris Weiss
Trying desperately to escape from the ongoing downward spiral that it’s been trapped in for months, Toyota announced yesterday that it plans to install a new brake override system in all its future vehicles worldwide. The new system will cut off power to the engine when both the brake and accelerator are hit at the same time. The company also plans to use black boxes designed to more closely investigate malfunctions.
The announcement comes amidst piling lawsuits and upcoming Congressional committee hearings on Toyota’s actions in relation to accelaration/braking complaints. The automaker is trying desperately to win back some of the public confidence it had before the recall mess.
The company also announced plans to appoint quality chiefs for each of its primary geographical regions.
We’re not sure that installing a system designed specifically to work when something goes wrong is the best way to win back public confidence, but it will make Toyota vehicles safer. [via Inside Line]
