Investigators Blame Toyota's Gas Pedal Design, Brake System in Fatal Crash

October 25, 2009

Los Angeles - Federal investigators have claimed that the gas pedal design and brake system of a Toyota has caused the crash that killed California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Mark Saylor and three of his family members in August.

In previous reports, the carmaker only blamed the defective floor mat that extended too long and snagged the gas pedal, causing Saylor to lose control. The company then immediately announced its biggest massive recall that covered more than 3.8 million cars.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigators, the floor mats of some Toyota models may cause accidents but said the gas pedal’s design is their main concern.

“The design [of the gas pedal] could increase the risk of being stuck in the floor mat”, the agency said in its report.

This finding is supported by a 911 call made by Saylor’s brother-in-law who said to the dispatcher that the brakes has been stuck.

NHTSA also said that Lexus ES 350, the Toyota model Saylor was driving at the time of the crash, has a braking system that loses its power when the throttle is fully opened, thus increasing the braking distance almost fivefold.

With this finding, Toyota now also plans to change the braking system and adjust the pedal design aside from installing new floor mats.

Meanwhile, NHTSA investigators also said Toyota failed to put a label on the dashboard that tells drivers “to press the power button for three full seconds to turn off the engine while the vehicle is moving.”