EDITORIAL: Sticky regulatory throttle

Washington Times ^ | April 16, 2012 | Editorial

[jazusamo]

Hasty feds accelerate new rules to combat imaginary problem

The Obama administration is so committed to redesigning the automobile that it’s taking over the way the gas and brake pedals are made to protect Americans from a nonexistent threat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Monday formally proposed that all new cars have a “brake-throttle override” system installed to prevent unintended acceleration.

Few issues have attracted media hype like the mysterious reports that automobiles rocketed away of their own accord while drivers futilely held their feet firmly on the brake pedal. Given the sensational headlines, it’s no surprise that politicians and bureaucrats have turned up, offering a new government program to ensure something is done to keep the public safe.

The Department of Transportation began working on the issue in 2007 following a series of reports that various Toyota and Lexus sedans were involved in fender benders that apparently were caused by the simultaneous failure of braking and throttle systems - even though, in all cases, both worked just fine in the aftermath of the crash. NHTSA released a report last year that found overlapping automotive fail-safe systems made it impossible for a car to run away from an owner who had his foot on the brake. Instead, “the most likely cause of the acceleration was actually pedal misapplication (i.e., the driver’s unintended application of the accelerator rather than, or in addition to, the brake),” the analysis concluded.

[jazusamo]

More nanny state regs raising vehicle prices and costing taxpayers millions in testing by the NHTSA.

[biggredd1]

seven more months of communist rule.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[pallis]

Hitler was big into designing cars. I can see the similarities.

[upchuck]

Even if this problem were legitimate, electronic gizmos wouldn’t be needed to solve it. A racing engine - whether caused by gremlins or a foot on the wrong pedal - is defeated by shifting the transmission into neutral. The only thing accelerating out of control here is the federal government’s drive to make cars more complicated, expensive, heavy and prone to failure. It’s time to take away NHTSA’s regulatory keys.

Yep. Shift into neutral and turn the key off.

[Tzimisce]

...add a couple more thousand to the average price of a car....

[Viking2002]

'seven more months of communist rule.'

You must base that statement on the assumption that enough people will shoehorn their heads out of their asses in time to compensate for a increasingly bloated welfare state and hideously corrupt electoral system. I don't share the same rosy outlook. I'm increasingly convinced that unless Romney wins by at least ten percentage points, the election will be a fix. And even if he does win, we're saddled with...............*choke*............Romney.

"As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

--H.L. Mencken, The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Why don't we just install a fail safe device that would shut the motor off. A kill switch, if you will. We can demand it be located near the steering wheel where the driver can get at it quickly.

Wait a minute....

So should we report these regulation to the Federal Department of Redundant services or the Department of Redundancy in Service.

[theBuckwheat]

Echos of the Carter years in so many ways. In a similar case of liberalism run amok, Carter’s head of NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) Joan Claybrook, wanted cars going over the 55 mph national speed limit would automatically start flashing their lights and honking their horns. That overreach died a quiet death, however she did manage to impose a seat belt interlock for a while that required the seat belt to be latched if there was weight in the seat. I think a few women paid for that overreach by being raped before they could drive away from their attacker.

Liberalism has such heart-wrenching concern for the little people, the ones who have to pay their taxes. Heart-wrenching indeed.