More Drivers Reporting Acceleration Problems

Posted on Feb 16, 2010

Federal safety regulators announced Monday that they had received an additional 13 reports of fatalities allegedly caused by uncontrolled acceleration of Toyota vehicles since the automaker ceased sales and production of certain vehicles last month. The report brings the number of unintended acceleration-related fatalities reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to 34. Most of the reported incidents occurred between 2003 and 2009, according to reports.

"At least 34 people have died in accidents involving Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles that allegedly accelerated out of control in the past decade, federal safety regulators said Monday, reflecting a sharp jump in the number of motorist complaints being filed in the three weeks since the automaker announced its latest recalls.

The new count from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration includes 13 fatalities reported since Jan. 27, the day after Toyota ordered a sales and production halt of eight models in the U.S. to fix gas pedals that it said can stick and cause unintended acceleration.

An analysis of the data by The Times shows that all but one of the deaths reported to NHTSA by motorists in 2010 actually occurred in prior years -- as far back as 1992 -- suggesting that recent public attention to the issue spurred people to file complaints regarding past incidents. Most of the incidents occurred between 2003 and 2009.

According to accounts filed with NHTSA, Toyota and Lexus vehicles suddenly raced forward, smashing into other cars, buildings and pedestrians.

In addition to the fatalities, federal regulators said 22 people reported injuries from unintended acceleration accidents involving Toyota vehicles, which ranged from cuts and bruises to a woman left in a coma."