03-04-2010, 12:31 AM
ztirffritz wrote:
I wonder if they are tracking the ages of the people complaining. I've twice been in accidents where a senior stepped on the gas instead of the break. I've also witnessed an accident where a teen girl stepped on the gas instead of the break.
From Toyota's perspective, this is a statistical nightmare from which there is no escape. Whether there is a problem or not, there is a perceived problem. I look forward to hearing what Malcom Gladwell has to say about this whole fiasco after it is resolved/goes away. My guess is that the problem is not nearly as pervasive as the media is making people think that it is. I think that it is just hysteria that the media are whipping up to get viewers/readers. Many of the instances are probably attributable to user error. Only a few might legitimately be manufacturing or design defect. Unfortunately the evidence is usually damaged so as not to be useful for review.
One person mentioned in that article is in their 80s, and I was thinking age related issues, too. Plus, I think older drivers become hypersensitive and probably hypervigilant, even to the extent of imagining things. I truly don't believe the problems are as widespread as what some would want us to believe. It just seems very popular right now to keep slinging at Toyota. I don't remember seeing today's thread here on the Nissan recall. Heck, I don't remember seeing much about it anywhere.