Unintended or Sudden Acceleration in Automobiles

Congress is considering legislation to strengthen federal regulation of auto safety, in response to hundreds of reported accidents, and more than 50 fatalities, that may be linked to sudden acceleration in certain makes of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Toyota, under pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has recalled more than 6 million autos in the United States, and for a time stopped production of certain new-model vehicles in an effort to address the problems, which is one of the largest such efforts in recent history. This book examines the problem of unintended or sudden acceleration of automobiles occurring during the past year and what mitigating challenges and procedures lay ahead for Congress and automakers.