NHTSA Pushing For Standardized Keyless Ignition For Quicker Vehicle Shutoff
The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) is pushing for a new rule that will standardized the time it takes for keyless ignitions to shutoff a vehicle to avoid accidents of unintended acceleration following the aftermath of Toyota‘s record recalls.
The accident that started Toyota’s recalls involved a 2009 Lexus ES350 that filled four people with part of the blame being pointed at the vehicle’s push-button control that required the driver to hold the button down for as long as three seconds in order to stop the engine.
The NHTSA is hoping to standardize the length of time for a push-button ignition to power down a vehicle in half-a-second and the proposed rule would cost less than $500,000 a year to implement. The issue at hand is the driver’s inability to stop a moving vehicle in a panic situation or drivers who unintentionally leave the vehicle in drive leading to vehicle rollaway. Another concern is carbon monoxide poisoning in an enclosed area when drivers leave the engine running when leaving the vehicle.
It can debated if Toyota’s unintended acceleration debacle in 2009 and 2010 can really be pinpointed on push-button ignitions and their delay in shutting off a vehicle. But any enhanced safety to compensate for human error in a panic situation is always welcomed.
[Source: Automotive News]
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In the terrible Saylor (unfamiliar)rental Lexus crash that reached full speed near 120 mph he likely hit the damn button a dozen times but didnt hold it in for THREE LONG seconds. His dead brother-in-law who made the horrific 911 call likely tried as well. Now if that damn Lexus only had brake override like they do now this post would not have been entered. If you own an older model Toyota was installing it for free if the computer had enough memory even for those not recalled. If I owned one and got it done by a dealer but charged Id pay for it and then cancel out the charge on the credit card. Why? Well I still believe Toyotas have rare sudden acceleration due to two simultaneous electronic glitches. There is no way drivers were just using the wrong pedal. Why so many Toyotas and hardly any for GMs per vehicle sold? The big CA trial is to have 10 experts analyze the secret Toyota code well see.