The matter of floor mat movement

Nov. 30, 2009
I'm hoping someone can help me understand this issue with Toyota and floor mats.
I'm hoping someone can help me understand this issue with Toyota and floor mats. It seems that driver-side floor mats on certain Toyota models could get stuck on the accelerator, which could cause unintended acceleration, which could cause an accident. This “situation” has led to the sixth-largest recall ever in the U.S., and the largest recall in the U.S. for Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota plans to replace the gas pedals on four million vehicles in the U.S. because of the potential problem. The car manufacturer’s dealers will offer to shorten the length of the gas pedals by three-fourths of an inch beginning next month as a stopgap measure while the company develops replacement pedals. Is all that really necessary? What in the world is a driver doing with his feet to move a floor mat up onto the accelerator? If a floor mat does ride up onto the accelerator and cause the vehicle to accelerate, why doesn’t the driver depress the brake and slide the floor mat back off the accelerator. Or, why not simply shut the car off and steer to a safe spot? Could it be because drivers are too distracted doing all the things they do behind the wheel? When are people going to start taking responsibility for their actions? I welcome your thoughts and comments.

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