Posted on 03/10/2010 6:12:49 PM PST by Kaslin
Auto Safety: As a Toyota Prius with a stuck accelerator races down a California freeway, no one mourns the victims of the fuel economy standards imposed by Congress. Forced into smaller cars, thousands have died.
We can barely imagine the panic felt by James Sikes, 61, as his Toyota Prius accelerated uncontrollably while he drove down Interstate 8 in San Diego County. We can imagine the continuation of the grandstanding by the owners of "government motors" as they further browbeat a competitor of government-run GM and Chrysler.
We do not minimize the safety issues here that need to be addressed, but we feel a sense of perspective is sorely needed. Toyota has been accused of cutting corners in the name of profit. The Congress that now huffs and puffs in righteous indignation can be accused of increasing the carnage on the nation's highways in the name of saving gasoline.
Sudden-acceleration events in Toyota and Lexus vehicles have been blamed for at least 19 fatalities and 815 vehicle crashes since 1999. That's fewer than two fatalities a year in a country that makes 1.8 million cars annually. How many crashes and fatalities are caused by the use of cell phones and text-messaging while driving?
Let us take a look at the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards enacted by the federal government in response to the Arab oil embargo. Lately, supporters have sought to increase these standards in the name of fighting climate change. They have neither reduced our dependence on foreign oil nor saved the Earth.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
I had one when I took mine in for the 90,000 checkup, and I was quite dissatisfied with the styling. The older Prius doesn’t look like a space ship. I felt cramped, and I had trouble seeing out the front and side easily. I also thought my head was too close to the ceiling.
It just didn’t feel comfortable like my current Prius. But it was cool though, with the economy/sports settings and the backup camera.
The over the shoulder visibility in the 2010 could be better. And the rear-view look takes some getting used to with the back window wiper.
My sister had a datsun B210, it’s the car in which I learned how to drive a shift. i liked it.
My wife had a chevy chevette. at one point I took it to the shop, complaining that it would lose acceleration up hills. The guy laughed at me — “Chevettes can’t accelerate up hills”.
But it turned out there was a problem with the fuel filter — it really could accelerate up a hill if you knew how to drive and shift.
Same here. I bought a 1978 model in 1984 for $400 and taught myself.
He’s most likely a liberal, and liberals aren’t very smart
fiat x1/9
Mine was ok, but it rusted badly after several years and was weak in the clutch, and I knew how to drive a stick before I bought it. It did drive nicely for a few years, though.
I had a ‘69 MG Midget. Now that was an aptly named car. Lots of fun, though I couldn’t drive it with shoes on.
Yeah, they used to tell me my volkswagen beetle couldn’t do a hundred too.
But even at 94 mph, he was still getting 36 mpg!
I rear ended a rusty old mufflerless midget with a 60s era chrysler once. the rear bumper guards made two little tiny dents in my METAL grill. The midget flew apart like a bomb and the driver started screaming about being blind and dying when his glasses flew off his face and over the windshield, over the hood and into the car in front of him. He was fine after we got his glasses back to him.
It’s the Toyota Lottery.
Come on all you Toyota apologists, the problem is real. Sure the media is capitalizing on it but hey.
how about turning the ignition key off?
Ship all the toys back to Toyotaland.
But was that when you were push-starting it?
Hey, I push started that thing by opening the door and putting one foot on the ground and pushing backwards then popping the clutch while in reverse.
Prius doesn’t have a key, it has a start button and a proximity chip.
Reverse. That’s an interesting solution. At college, we’d get out and push while my roommate would steer and pop his clutch in.
I couldn’t push-start my car.
Normally you have to do it in second gear. Getting the engine to pop off in first or reverse is tricky...takes lots and lots of practice and a low compression engine. Having the engine over the drive wheels helps too. It just might be that a VW beetle is the only car that it can be done with.
BTW, people die from going in reverse with one foot out the door. If the car is small enough, the front wheel will run over your foot when your leg is fully extended...it pulls you out of the car and under the wheel. At least on a front wheel drive it does.
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