Video: CBS Early Show on unintended acceleration tragedy and driver strategy

Jan 22, 2010 12:06 PM

The CBS Early Show today aired a segment filmed with Consumer Reports on the issue of sudden acceleration. Shot last week, the timing coincided with Toyota’s announcement that it was recalling 2.3 million vehicles for sticking accelerators. (Read: “More than floor mats: Toyota recalls 2.3 million vehicles for sticking accelerators.”) This latest recall is separate from, but in addition to, the company’s recall of 3.8 million vehicles last October for issues that could result in uncontrolled acceleration. (There are approximately 1.7 million vehicles that are impacted by both recalls.)

CBS consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen points out that unintended acceleration can happen on any vehicle, and the threat posed by misplaced floor mats has highlighted such risk. If it happened to you, would you know how to stop the vehicle?

The segment highlights the tragic Lexus crash in California that brought the unintended acceleration issue to national attention. At the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, our engineers simulate a wide-open throttle condition for CBS and demonstrate the right and wrong ways to bring the car to a safe, controlled stop.

The simple advice: If you experience unintended acceleration, put the transmission into neutral, press and hold the brakes, steer safely off the road, and shut off the vehicle when you come to a stop.

—Jeff Bartlett