Experts have concluded that they have still not been able to find any faults in the Japanese manufacturer's cars that could have caused the incidents. Earlier, versions were put forward that the sudden acceleration of Toyota cars could be linked either to malfunctions in the electronic accelerator, which is installed in many models of the brand, or to the pedal sticking due to the poorly designed shape of the floor mats in the cabin. Nevertheless, NHTSA found that in half of the analyzed cases of uncontrolled acceleration, the blame lay with car owners who confused the brake and gas pedals.
After studying the data from the black boxes of 58 Toyota cars involved in accidents, experts found that in 35 cases drivers did not press the brake at all, but on the contrary, fully depressed the accelerator. In nine situations, the brake pedal was pressed too late. One incident occurred due to a stuck gas pedal, and in another case, a person pressed both pedals simultaneously.
These results essentially coincide with earlier statements by Toyota representatives that their own investigation also found no flaws in the design of the electronic pedals. However, it was the alleged accelerator malfunction that became the formal basis for recalling over 10 million Toyota cars and for a fine of $16.4 million, which the company paid for being too slow to respond to a potentially deadly threat.
At the same time, NHTSA intends to deepen the study of the causes of sudden acceleration: now agency specialists, together with NASA engineers, are testing how electromagnetic waves can affect the functioning of Toyota's electronic gas pedals.
