303 Deaths Seen in G.M. Cars With Failed Air Bags [Obama Motors KILLS PEOPLE!]

New York Times ^ | 3/14/14 | DANIELLE IVORY and HILARY STOUT

[SoFloFreeper]

As lawmakers press General Motors and regulators over their decade-long failure to correct a defective ignition switch, a new review of federal crash data shows that 303 people died after the air bags failed to deploy on two of the models that were recalled last month.

The review of the air bag failures from 2003 to 2012, by the Friedman Research Corporation, adds to the mounting reports of problems that went unheeded before General Motors announced last month that it was recalling more than 1.6 million cars worldwide because of the defective switch.

[SoFloFreeper]

Anyone else remember the PERSECUTION endured by TOYOTA over what was LATER discovered to be, in most cases, operator error over gas pedals...the government wanted to DESTROY that company.....

[Darksheare]

Gotta stifle competition and stagnate the choice pool you know.
That’s how business works under Obama!

[cuban leaf]

The number “303” is meaningless (except to the families of those who died). I want to know what the ratio is to the number of cars sold.

[BikerJoe]

Anyone else remember the PERSECUTION endured by TOYOTA over what was LATER discovered to be, in most cases, operator error over gas pedals...the government wanted to DESTROY that company.....

I USED to feel that way until an expert software team was able to look at the Toyota engine controller code and found it to be so poorly written that they were, in fact, able to identify multiple areas where unintended acceleration could occur.

[WayneS]

Other relevant figures would be how many of the cars sold were actually crashed; and of those, how many experienced failure of the air-bags.

And, in a similar vein, how many of the 303 fatalities would have been prevented had the air-bag not failed.

Some crashes are simply not survivable no matter how much safety crap you have on board.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

The government just got out of GM stock too.

What a coincidence.

Now they can levy huge fines.

[Pollster1]

I generally disapprove of frivolous product liability lawsuits, and most such suits are frivolous, but I hope GM will be crushed by lawsuits over their defective products. Given the criminality behind their bankruptcy, which ignored contract law, bankruptcy law, and common law, I am boycotting GM forever and cheering every richly deserved misfortune that befalls that corrupt company.

I will never buy any GM product, new or used, pre- or post-bankruptcy, nor will I rent a GM vehicle or buy their stock/bonds. That company is dead to me. The good news is that most of their products are absolute junk - more expensive than the competition and lower quality - so ethical behavior with regard to a GM boycott costs nothing.

[WayneS]

The G.M. ignition problem is connected to air bags because, to deploy, they require electrical power provided by the engine.

I wish the engine in my car generated electricity...

[PhiloBedo]

I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if GM is going to get the same treatment? /s

[telstar12.5]

if the key is in the ignition, is it too much to ask that the air bag system (yeah, yeah, the ECM) be connected to the battery?

[cuban leaf]

Yep. All good points.

If people want a defect free car, they are gonna spend quite a bit more than the annual income of most people. Yes, even known defects.

[dhs12345]

Yup. Worse yet, the government was in direct competition with Toyota.

Anyone see a problem with this?

[sportutegrl]

I USED to feel that way until an expert software team was able to look at the Toyota engine controller code and found it to be so poorly written that they were, in fact, able to identify multiple areas where unintended acceleration could occur.

I believe those car talk guys, Click and Clack? did a show where they took one of the Toyota models and floored the gas and pressed the brake pedal at the same time. The brake won. The people driving the cars were mistaking the gas for the brake pedal.

[WayneS]

I suppose not. Do other car manufacturers design their electrical systems this way?

But, what does any of this have to do with GM’s apparently heretofore unknown technology which causes internal combustion engines to generate electricity?

[j. earl carter]

Re: the brake beats the gas pedal.

No doubt, you are correct, but:

In congested areas, parking lots and such, even a momentary burst of unintended acceleration could cause catastrophe.

I suspect that faulty cruise controls have caused a great many accidents/deaths over the years.

[Cold Heart]

I have an internal combustion powered Honda generator if that helps.

[WayneS]

Not to mention the fact that regardless of poorly written ECM code, once the ignition switch kills power to the ECM and/or the fuel delivery system, the engine stops running.

All one needs to do to stop a ‘runaway’ vehicle is turn the ignition key backwards one ‘click’ - and then get ready for steering and brake pedal functions to be a little ‘heavier’ than usual as one steers the car to the edge of the road.

Another pretty much fool-proof alternative is to shift the vehicle’s transmission to neutral. That won’t shut off the engine, but it will certainly prevent it from transferring the energy it is producing to the drive-train.

[WayneS]

Yes. But its engine is not producing electricity.

[nascarnation]

Excellent post.

[SoFloFreeper]

The unions are to blame too. Obama would never have stolen from the taxpayers on GM’s behalf if the union wasn’t there.

I remember when Borders Books went belly up. Bad business model, weak economy, poor management.....did the Clown leap to the rescue of that business? Nope. No union.