The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, headed by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, was intensely scrutinized today by a Congressional subcommittee for failures related to the Toyota recall. Senator Jay Rockefeller, for example, questioned whether NHTSA focussed on floor mats and sticky pedals instead of an electronic explanation due to not understanding the electronic systems. Senator Barbara Boxer asked why NHTSA had former Toyota employees who became NHTSA employees represent Toyota in the recall process. She characterized the scene as appearing to be a "cozy" relationship, and it said that it "smells bad." Senator Byron Dorgan noted apparent "credibility problems."
Secretary LaHood discussed the possibility of mandating an electronic override to prevent these sort of accidents. He further pledged to tighten rules regarding recalls and vehicle safety. It did not seem that the Senators were completely satisfied with NHTSA's response.
0 comments:
Post a Comment