News broke toward the end of last year that admitted-crook Toyota and its ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi North America are accused of copyright infringement associated with a Camry ad. Never mind the ad neglecting to mention NASA physicist Henning Leidecker warning of increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys. The Toyota gang struck a sour note by deriving an ad campaign from someone's book about B.B. King without first getting the author's permission. And a federal judge has now ruled that the lawsuit can proceed, overruling a "challenge" blabbered out by the Coverup King. Always bear in mind that an Associated Press investigation found that Toyota indulges in some pretty sleazy legal tactics when sued.
This isn't the first time a Toyota ad campaign has made the wrong kinda headlines. Not too long ago, advertising the "Toyota Way" literally terrorized a consumer after Saatchi came up with what's gotta be the most ridiculous idea ever when it comes to spreadin' the word about a product.
What really shows Toyota's true colors when it comes to who owns written material is the Coverup King's harassment of whistleblower Betsy Benjaminson. The unemployed, single-mother-of-four continues to be subjected to pricey intimidation tactics by a gang of Toyota's big-shot lawyers because Benjaminson dared to divulge information she felt the public needed to know regarding Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration. Toyota seems to think it's okay to use privileged information from someone's book for an advertising campaign, but it's not okay for someone to divulge "privileged Toyota information" that electrical engineers such as the exceptionally well-credentialed Dr. Antony Anderson believe has safety implications for the public. In fact, Dr. Anderson's study on unintended acceleration has been published in the prestigious IEEE Access. Go figure.
Really, folks. Who trusts the advertising of an admitted crook in the first place?
Update 3/16/2015 - Repeated efforts have been unsuccessful in getting this post to appear in standard format on Facebook. My remarks and the link itself are all that shows. I'll monitor re potential censorship issues.
Update 4/23/2015 - The suit has now been settled. Confidentially, of course. Keeping things quiet is Toyota's trademark.
Showing posts with label Dr. Antony Anderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Antony Anderson. Show all posts
Monday, March 16, 2015
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Video: Runaway RAV4 plows into library - electronics at issue
Update 6/7/2014 - This article (unusually detailed) underscores the all-too-common circumstances in which crashes suggestive of electronically-induced unintended acceleration take place. Note that the Gilmans' car was an '03 Camry. NASA physicist Henning Leidecker is warning of increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys, calling it a game of Russian roulette.
Last Tuesday, a runaway RAV4 smashed into Finkelstein Memorial Library in Spring Valley, New York. Security-cam video caught the entire event. The RAV4 was SLOWLY turning into the parking lot when the vehicle suddenly took off like a rocket. Consistent with the video, the driver says his foot was on the brake pedal when he heard the engine rev up as the RAV4 simultaneously accelerated. This makes at least three cases during the past two months suggesting electronically-induced unintended acceleration in runaway Toyotas. Common denominators include parking lots, turning corners, slow speeds when the events begin, and driver complaints that the brakes failed to stop the vehicles. None of the drivers in these crashes (injuries galore, death of a four-year-old) have been elderly. All of the vehicles crashed into public buildings. A Solara into a daycare, a Lexus into a church, now the RAV4 into a library.
Okay. If ol' Sammy is gonna let acknowledged crooks like Toyota ignore compelling evidence of electronic defects in throttle controls, ya gotta put barriers up. 'Specially twixt public buildings and parking lots. 'Cause parking lots are where so many unintended accelerations occur.
Who needs expensive, proper designs for electronic throttle controls when ya can have storefront barriers?
Believe it or not, that seems to be the attitude of the rapidly growing storefront-barrier movement, 'cause I've yet to see wunna their websites even so much as mention the issue of electronically-induced unintended acceleration. Not that automotive interests would dupe the public by promoting notions of "driver error," but such websites are poppin' up as fast as runaway Toyotas...
Meanwhile, runaway-vehicle events are happening far more frequently than most folks realize. The exceptionally well-credentialed electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson estimates that on a worldwide basis, 10,000 electronically-associated runaways take place each year. How many of these events result in vehicles crashing into public buildings is anyone's guess, but it's an alarming consideration.
One thing's for sure: The barrier people got it wrong for the runaway RAV4. Barriers placed at the library entrance - which happens to be in a direct line to a parking lot entrance that requires motorists to make a 90 degree turn, apply brakes, and travel at slow speed - were spaced so far apart that even a vehicle the size of a RAV4 could zoom between 'em unscathed, leaving the "scathed" part for the library, people inside, furniture, desks, chairs, books...
Not only proper spacing. Ya also gotta make sure those storefront barriers are strong enough to stop an out-of-control vehicle, and some haven't been. Fact is, cars have become giant computers that can even be hacked. So just think how nice it would be - since automakers seem a bit slack in designing electronic throttle controls - if barriers were most everywhere, and folks were confident that runaway vehicles, especially Toyotas, were no match for those ever-present barriers.
No, it wouldn't be a cure-all.
You'd still be on yer own until - and unless - you could get to wherever you needed to go to have safety barriers twixt you and any vehicles - notably Toyotas - in the vicinity, especially if they were lurking around those pesky parking lots where drivers are apt to be maneuvering at extremely slow speeds, foot on the brake, moving shift levers, entering or exiting parking spaces, or turning corners. As video of the runaway RAV4 demonstrates, they don't call it "sudden" unintended acceleration fer nuthin'.
No informed consumer was surprised by Tuesday's library crash. It displayed classic circumstances in which these events take place, and the security-cam video corroborated everything the driver said. Extremely slow speed, a 90 degree turn into the parking lot, then the engine suddenly revs up as the vehicle takes off like a rocket, barrels out of control, and the brakes fail to stop it. One of the people inside the library thought the place had been bombed, and a 14 year old girl wound up pinned beneath the RAV4, lucky not to have been critically injured or killed.
From the article "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences," let's review once again the findings of embedded systems expert Michael Barr:
* Toyota's electronic throttle control system (ETCS) source code is of unreasonable quality.
* Toyota's source code is defective and contains bugs, including bugs that can cause unintended acceleration (UA)
* Code-quality metrics predict presence of additional bugs.
* Toyota's fail-safes are defective and inadequate (referring to them as a 'house of cards' safety architecture).
* Misbehaviours of Toyota's ETCS are a cause of UA
There's no excuse for this government allowing automakers - especially an acknowledged crook like Toyota - to ignore evidence of defective electronics associated with unintended acceleration. As things now stand, valid safety measures are being exploited as part of a perverse effort to save corporations big bucks. Storefront barriers are no substitute for proper designs in electronic throttle controls.
Update 6/04/2014 - I just now learned of a second runaway Lexus event that happened in April, this one in Ridgewood, New Jersey as the driver was attmepting to park. "Parking" may be the most common denominator of all. While Toyotas are most likely to be involved, other brands are not immune, demonstrated by this deadly, sudden unintended acceleration of a Subaru into a hair salon on 5/30/2014 in Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania.
Last Tuesday, a runaway RAV4 smashed into Finkelstein Memorial Library in Spring Valley, New York. Security-cam video caught the entire event. The RAV4 was SLOWLY turning into the parking lot when the vehicle suddenly took off like a rocket. Consistent with the video, the driver says his foot was on the brake pedal when he heard the engine rev up as the RAV4 simultaneously accelerated. This makes at least three cases during the past two months suggesting electronically-induced unintended acceleration in runaway Toyotas. Common denominators include parking lots, turning corners, slow speeds when the events begin, and driver complaints that the brakes failed to stop the vehicles. None of the drivers in these crashes (injuries galore, death of a four-year-old) have been elderly. All of the vehicles crashed into public buildings. A Solara into a daycare, a Lexus into a church, now the RAV4 into a library.
Okay. If ol' Sammy is gonna let acknowledged crooks like Toyota ignore compelling evidence of electronic defects in throttle controls, ya gotta put barriers up. 'Specially twixt public buildings and parking lots. 'Cause parking lots are where so many unintended accelerations occur.
Who needs expensive, proper designs for electronic throttle controls when ya can have storefront barriers?
Believe it or not, that seems to be the attitude of the rapidly growing storefront-barrier movement, 'cause I've yet to see wunna their websites even so much as mention the issue of electronically-induced unintended acceleration. Not that automotive interests would dupe the public by promoting notions of "driver error," but such websites are poppin' up as fast as runaway Toyotas...
Meanwhile, runaway-vehicle events are happening far more frequently than most folks realize. The exceptionally well-credentialed electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson estimates that on a worldwide basis, 10,000 electronically-associated runaways take place each year. How many of these events result in vehicles crashing into public buildings is anyone's guess, but it's an alarming consideration.
One thing's for sure: The barrier people got it wrong for the runaway RAV4. Barriers placed at the library entrance - which happens to be in a direct line to a parking lot entrance that requires motorists to make a 90 degree turn, apply brakes, and travel at slow speed - were spaced so far apart that even a vehicle the size of a RAV4 could zoom between 'em unscathed, leaving the "scathed" part for the library, people inside, furniture, desks, chairs, books...
Not only proper spacing. Ya also gotta make sure those storefront barriers are strong enough to stop an out-of-control vehicle, and some haven't been. Fact is, cars have become giant computers that can even be hacked. So just think how nice it would be - since automakers seem a bit slack in designing electronic throttle controls - if barriers were most everywhere, and folks were confident that runaway vehicles, especially Toyotas, were no match for those ever-present barriers.
No, it wouldn't be a cure-all.
You'd still be on yer own until - and unless - you could get to wherever you needed to go to have safety barriers twixt you and any vehicles - notably Toyotas - in the vicinity, especially if they were lurking around those pesky parking lots where drivers are apt to be maneuvering at extremely slow speeds, foot on the brake, moving shift levers, entering or exiting parking spaces, or turning corners. As video of the runaway RAV4 demonstrates, they don't call it "sudden" unintended acceleration fer nuthin'.
No informed consumer was surprised by Tuesday's library crash. It displayed classic circumstances in which these events take place, and the security-cam video corroborated everything the driver said. Extremely slow speed, a 90 degree turn into the parking lot, then the engine suddenly revs up as the vehicle takes off like a rocket, barrels out of control, and the brakes fail to stop it. One of the people inside the library thought the place had been bombed, and a 14 year old girl wound up pinned beneath the RAV4, lucky not to have been critically injured or killed.
From the article "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences," let's review once again the findings of embedded systems expert Michael Barr:
* Toyota's electronic throttle control system (ETCS) source code is of unreasonable quality.
* Toyota's source code is defective and contains bugs, including bugs that can cause unintended acceleration (UA)
* Code-quality metrics predict presence of additional bugs.
* Toyota's fail-safes are defective and inadequate (referring to them as a 'house of cards' safety architecture).
* Misbehaviours of Toyota's ETCS are a cause of UA
There's no excuse for this government allowing automakers - especially an acknowledged crook like Toyota - to ignore evidence of defective electronics associated with unintended acceleration. As things now stand, valid safety measures are being exploited as part of a perverse effort to save corporations big bucks. Storefront barriers are no substitute for proper designs in electronic throttle controls.
Update 6/04/2014 - I just now learned of a second runaway Lexus event that happened in April, this one in Ridgewood, New Jersey as the driver was attmepting to park. "Parking" may be the most common denominator of all. While Toyotas are most likely to be involved, other brands are not immune, demonstrated by this deadly, sudden unintended acceleration of a Subaru into a hair salon on 5/30/2014 in Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Government the "Toyota Way"
A government serving the interests of the public would be sending Toyota executives to prison. Instead, consumers are confronted with corporate-controlled thugs refusing to acknowledge - publicly, at least - compelling evidence of electronic defects in the Recall King's throttle control. So what if people get injured or killed? Isn't it ridiculous when taspayers have reason to doubt the government's story of what the terms were when a crook like Toyota handed over $1.2 billion in payola to end a federal criminal investigation? Toyota is notorious for confidentiality agreements, and nobody can be blamed for wondering if an admission of covering up electronic defects associated with unintended acceleration was part of the deal Toyota cut with the feds.
First off, there was the weird language used by mainstream media, "hinting" that Toyota had admitted to covering up electronic defects. Then the feds exhibited a high-handed attitude when confronted with evidence of electronic defects in Toyota's throttle control. Now, claims are being made that Toyota's billion dollar federal criminal settlement did in fact have to do with concealing electronic defects in its throttle control. At least two attorneys, and an Orlando TV station have come right out and said so. One of the attorneys is the highly prominent Bob Hilliard, currently representing unjustly imprisoned Toyota driver Koua Fong Lee. Furthermore, two of the news reports addressed Toyota's criminal settlement in the context of reporting a fatal crash strongly suggestive of electronically-induced unintended acceleration. It's beginning to look like the public has been lied to - not only by NHTSA - but also by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Don't be misled by the government's mainstream media stooges. Unintended acceleration events are continuing - probably on a larger scale than most folks realize - and it's a hoot the way news media avoids divulging too many details - such as a vehicle's model and year - when accidents are reported. Cases suggesting electronically-induced unintended acceleration pop up constantly, such as this 5/3/2014 mishap in Natick, Massachusettes. The vehicle's year wasn't reported, but it was a Toyota Camry. And it's amazing the way accident investigators are usually so quick to consider every conceivable possibility - dutifully reported by the news media - except an electronic problem. Of course, as word spreads regarding evidence of electronic issues, the tune seems to be changing. Exceptionally well-credentialed electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson - as part of his recent study published in the prestigious IEEE Access - estimates that 10,000 unintended acceleration events occur worldwide each year. In fact, so many vehicles are crashing into public buildings that the issue of storefront safety is now being addressed by non-profit organizations. Problem is, amidst government efforts to keep things quiet, these well-intentioned groups are failing to address compelling evidence of electronic issues while admirably encouraging the installation of safety barriers.
Granted, storefront crashes are caused by a variety of things, and nobody knows what percentage of these crashes are caused by electronically-induced unintended acceleration. But the mere fact that parking is involved is enough to raise eyebrows. Accounts of unintended acceleration events show some common denominators. Most of these events begin at a slow speed, driver's foot likely on the brake pedal when the unintended acceleration starts. Events occurring in parking lots, driveways, and garages are typical, as evidenced by today's report of a Camry crashing into a home in Rochester, New Hampshire last night. Embedded systems expert Michael Barr addressed this situation in testimony that won the landmark lawsuit against Toyota last October in Oklahoma. He found that a driver in such a situation would have to remove their foot from the brake pedal and instantaneously reapply pressure to stand any chance at all of stopping the vehicle. With only seconds to spare before a collision, it's unlikely that enough pressure could be applied quickly enough to avoid a crash. Elderly drivers are at even more of a disadvantage, because extra forceful pedal pressure is required. Let's review once again (see trade journal EDN Network's article, "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences") what Mr. Barr concluded:
> Toyota's electronic throttle control system (ETCS) source code is of unreasonable quality.
> Toyota's source code is defective and contains bugs, including bugs that can cause unintended acceleration (UA)
> Code-quality metrics predict presence of additional bugs.
> Toyota's fail safes are defective and inadequate (referring to them as a 'house of cards' safety architecture).
> Misbehaviours of Toyota's ETCS are a cause of UA.
It's a shame when the public has to depend on a few trade journals for information about what led a jury to find a crook like Toyota guilty of reckless disregard in the design of its electronic throttle control. Take a look at yesterday's EE Times article, "Video: Michael Barr Speaks of Software That Kills."
The government - Repukes and Demagogues alike - isn't ignorant. Or underfunded. Or merely inefficient. The government is crooked. Enter NHTSA's big lie that NASA had ruled out electronics as a cause of unintended acceleration in Toyotas. Enter NHTSA's complicity in allowing GM to avoid recalling millions of units for defective ignition switches, ignoring evidence of a problem, including deadly crashes. Driving the point home, NASA physicist Henning Leidecker is warning of increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys due to "tin whiskers" in the throttle control. The models Dr. Leidecker are concerned about have one of the highest rates of unintended acceleration. And never mind that Toyota's unintended acceleration events increased dramatically after the company introduced electronic throttle controls in 2002.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going on as the government now wrings its blood-drenched hands over GM's ignition switch scandal. Not to worry. Ol' Sammy's "Justice Department" will make sure, Toyota style, that nobody at GM - not to mention NHTSA - winds up in prison. Meanwhile, as Toyota rushes to settle hundreds of remaining unintended acceleration cases, the tax-paying public is left to wonder if the Recall King has corrected the problems Mr. Barr found in the automaker's electronics.
It takes gall for NHTSA and Toyota to say that the increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys isn't enough to warrant public concern. And it's downright insulting when the "Justice Department" simply refuses to comment when questioned about Michael Barr's findings. How much longer are Americans gonna put up with a government - Repukes and Demagogues alike - that lies with impunity, thumbs its ugly nose at anyone who dares to ask justifiable questions, and allows crooks like Toyota and GM to treat people like dirt?
First off, there was the weird language used by mainstream media, "hinting" that Toyota had admitted to covering up electronic defects. Then the feds exhibited a high-handed attitude when confronted with evidence of electronic defects in Toyota's throttle control. Now, claims are being made that Toyota's billion dollar federal criminal settlement did in fact have to do with concealing electronic defects in its throttle control. At least two attorneys, and an Orlando TV station have come right out and said so. One of the attorneys is the highly prominent Bob Hilliard, currently representing unjustly imprisoned Toyota driver Koua Fong Lee. Furthermore, two of the news reports addressed Toyota's criminal settlement in the context of reporting a fatal crash strongly suggestive of electronically-induced unintended acceleration. It's beginning to look like the public has been lied to - not only by NHTSA - but also by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Don't be misled by the government's mainstream media stooges. Unintended acceleration events are continuing - probably on a larger scale than most folks realize - and it's a hoot the way news media avoids divulging too many details - such as a vehicle's model and year - when accidents are reported. Cases suggesting electronically-induced unintended acceleration pop up constantly, such as this 5/3/2014 mishap in Natick, Massachusettes. The vehicle's year wasn't reported, but it was a Toyota Camry. And it's amazing the way accident investigators are usually so quick to consider every conceivable possibility - dutifully reported by the news media - except an electronic problem. Of course, as word spreads regarding evidence of electronic issues, the tune seems to be changing. Exceptionally well-credentialed electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson - as part of his recent study published in the prestigious IEEE Access - estimates that 10,000 unintended acceleration events occur worldwide each year. In fact, so many vehicles are crashing into public buildings that the issue of storefront safety is now being addressed by non-profit organizations. Problem is, amidst government efforts to keep things quiet, these well-intentioned groups are failing to address compelling evidence of electronic issues while admirably encouraging the installation of safety barriers.
Granted, storefront crashes are caused by a variety of things, and nobody knows what percentage of these crashes are caused by electronically-induced unintended acceleration. But the mere fact that parking is involved is enough to raise eyebrows. Accounts of unintended acceleration events show some common denominators. Most of these events begin at a slow speed, driver's foot likely on the brake pedal when the unintended acceleration starts. Events occurring in parking lots, driveways, and garages are typical, as evidenced by today's report of a Camry crashing into a home in Rochester, New Hampshire last night. Embedded systems expert Michael Barr addressed this situation in testimony that won the landmark lawsuit against Toyota last October in Oklahoma. He found that a driver in such a situation would have to remove their foot from the brake pedal and instantaneously reapply pressure to stand any chance at all of stopping the vehicle. With only seconds to spare before a collision, it's unlikely that enough pressure could be applied quickly enough to avoid a crash. Elderly drivers are at even more of a disadvantage, because extra forceful pedal pressure is required. Let's review once again (see trade journal EDN Network's article, "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences") what Mr. Barr concluded:
> Toyota's electronic throttle control system (ETCS) source code is of unreasonable quality.
> Toyota's source code is defective and contains bugs, including bugs that can cause unintended acceleration (UA)
> Code-quality metrics predict presence of additional bugs.
> Toyota's fail safes are defective and inadequate (referring to them as a 'house of cards' safety architecture).
> Misbehaviours of Toyota's ETCS are a cause of UA.
It's a shame when the public has to depend on a few trade journals for information about what led a jury to find a crook like Toyota guilty of reckless disregard in the design of its electronic throttle control. Take a look at yesterday's EE Times article, "Video: Michael Barr Speaks of Software That Kills."
The government - Repukes and Demagogues alike - isn't ignorant. Or underfunded. Or merely inefficient. The government is crooked. Enter NHTSA's big lie that NASA had ruled out electronics as a cause of unintended acceleration in Toyotas. Enter NHTSA's complicity in allowing GM to avoid recalling millions of units for defective ignition switches, ignoring evidence of a problem, including deadly crashes. Driving the point home, NASA physicist Henning Leidecker is warning of increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys due to "tin whiskers" in the throttle control. The models Dr. Leidecker are concerned about have one of the highest rates of unintended acceleration. And never mind that Toyota's unintended acceleration events increased dramatically after the company introduced electronic throttle controls in 2002.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going on as the government now wrings its blood-drenched hands over GM's ignition switch scandal. Not to worry. Ol' Sammy's "Justice Department" will make sure, Toyota style, that nobody at GM - not to mention NHTSA - winds up in prison. Meanwhile, as Toyota rushes to settle hundreds of remaining unintended acceleration cases, the tax-paying public is left to wonder if the Recall King has corrected the problems Mr. Barr found in the automaker's electronics.
It takes gall for NHTSA and Toyota to say that the increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys isn't enough to warrant public concern. And it's downright insulting when the "Justice Department" simply refuses to comment when questioned about Michael Barr's findings. How much longer are Americans gonna put up with a government - Repukes and Demagogues alike - that lies with impunity, thumbs its ugly nose at anyone who dares to ask justifiable questions, and allows crooks like Toyota and GM to treat people like dirt?
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Fatal Solara day care crash spotlights electronic issues
Update 5/12/2014 - Statements from the Solara driver, made public today, are consistent with concerns about electronically-induced unintended acceleration. "... the Solars's brakes 'were not responding' and the car 'actually started to accelerate at a higher rate of speed.'" The Solara driver's statements are corroborated by witness accounts.
As information spreads about electronic issues associated with Toyota's unintended acceleration scandal, instances of runaway Toyotas are continuing. There have been two high profile cases in the past week in Florida, both pointing to the liklihood of electronically induced unintended acceleration. One happened Easter night when a Lexus barreled through the wall of a church. The other involved a Solara crashing through the wall of a day care, injuring many children, killing a four-year-old.
Florida Highway Patrol has now released a diagram of the KinderCare crash, which should resolve any notions - much ballyhooed by mainstream media - that the Solara was knocked through the wall when another vehicle hit it from behind. The diagram clearly shows that to be an impossibility. The Solara headed back at an angle in the opposite direction from where it was hit from behind, jumped a curb, went across a parking lot, and plowed through a wall.
There's more.
The driver of the Solara was turning a corner. Most unintended acceleration events are triggered at slow speeds, so the Solara's speed was typical. Furthermore, the driver probably had his foot on the brake. Embedded systems expert Michael Barr found that in such a situation (assuming the absence of a fail-safe), in order to get the brakes to work, a driver would have to immediately take their foot off the brake pedal and immediately reapply pressure.
It's ridiculous to expect someone to take their foot off the brake pedal when their car starts speeding out of control. No wonder the jury in Oklahoma - before whom Mr. Barr testified - not only found Toyota guilty, but also opined that the Recall King acted with reckless disregard for public safety. From the article "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences" here's what Mr. Barr found:
> Toyota's electronic throttle control system (ETCS) source code is of unreasonable quality.
> Toyota's source code is defective and contains bugs, including bugs that can cause unintended acceleration (UA)
> Code-quality metrics predict presence of additional bugs.
> Toyota's fail safes are defective and inadequate (referring to them as a 'house of cards' safety architecture).
> Misbehaviours of Toyota's ETCS are a cause of UA.
As the Solara case continues - the driver has not been charged with any wrongdoing - it's important to note that just because an unintended acceleration event doesn't show up on diagnostic equipment, that doesn't mean the event didn't happen. Dr. Antony Anderson recently completed a study - published in the prestigious IEEE Access - demonstrating how false speed signals can be accepted as authentic, thereby triggering unverifiable instances of unintended acceleration. Be cautious when a crook like Toyota - admittedly guilty of a federal criminal charge for misleading motorists - cites anything, including "black box" data.
Cases of unintended acceleration are continuing, and circumstances often point to defects in Toyota's electronic throttle control. Meanwhile, NASA physicist Henning Leidecker is warning of increased risk of electronically induced unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys, comparing it to a game of Russian roulette. The public is being subjected to needless risk, and people are getting killed or seriously injured, apparently for no other reason than corporate greed.
How much longer is the government gonna allow a crook like Toyota to ignore compelling evidence of electronic defects in its throttle control?
Update 4/29/2014 - This just in: Today in Columbus, Ohio, a Lexus SUV crashed into seven cars, then a building, and the driver has made reference to a "stuck accelerator." Stay tuned.
As information spreads about electronic issues associated with Toyota's unintended acceleration scandal, instances of runaway Toyotas are continuing. There have been two high profile cases in the past week in Florida, both pointing to the liklihood of electronically induced unintended acceleration. One happened Easter night when a Lexus barreled through the wall of a church. The other involved a Solara crashing through the wall of a day care, injuring many children, killing a four-year-old.
Florida Highway Patrol has now released a diagram of the KinderCare crash, which should resolve any notions - much ballyhooed by mainstream media - that the Solara was knocked through the wall when another vehicle hit it from behind. The diagram clearly shows that to be an impossibility. The Solara headed back at an angle in the opposite direction from where it was hit from behind, jumped a curb, went across a parking lot, and plowed through a wall.
There's more.
The driver of the Solara was turning a corner. Most unintended acceleration events are triggered at slow speeds, so the Solara's speed was typical. Furthermore, the driver probably had his foot on the brake. Embedded systems expert Michael Barr found that in such a situation (assuming the absence of a fail-safe), in order to get the brakes to work, a driver would have to immediately take their foot off the brake pedal and immediately reapply pressure.
It's ridiculous to expect someone to take their foot off the brake pedal when their car starts speeding out of control. No wonder the jury in Oklahoma - before whom Mr. Barr testified - not only found Toyota guilty, but also opined that the Recall King acted with reckless disregard for public safety. From the article "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences" here's what Mr. Barr found:
> Toyota's electronic throttle control system (ETCS) source code is of unreasonable quality.
> Toyota's source code is defective and contains bugs, including bugs that can cause unintended acceleration (UA)
> Code-quality metrics predict presence of additional bugs.
> Toyota's fail safes are defective and inadequate (referring to them as a 'house of cards' safety architecture).
> Misbehaviours of Toyota's ETCS are a cause of UA.
As the Solara case continues - the driver has not been charged with any wrongdoing - it's important to note that just because an unintended acceleration event doesn't show up on diagnostic equipment, that doesn't mean the event didn't happen. Dr. Antony Anderson recently completed a study - published in the prestigious IEEE Access - demonstrating how false speed signals can be accepted as authentic, thereby triggering unverifiable instances of unintended acceleration. Be cautious when a crook like Toyota - admittedly guilty of a federal criminal charge for misleading motorists - cites anything, including "black box" data.
Cases of unintended acceleration are continuing, and circumstances often point to defects in Toyota's electronic throttle control. Meanwhile, NASA physicist Henning Leidecker is warning of increased risk of electronically induced unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys, comparing it to a game of Russian roulette. The public is being subjected to needless risk, and people are getting killed or seriously injured, apparently for no other reason than corporate greed.
How much longer is the government gonna allow a crook like Toyota to ignore compelling evidence of electronic defects in its throttle control?
Update 4/29/2014 - This just in: Today in Columbus, Ohio, a Lexus SUV crashed into seven cars, then a building, and the driver has made reference to a "stuck accelerator." Stay tuned.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
NASA physicist targets Toyota's electronic throttle control
"Leidecker said he believes the tin whisker risk remains for Toyotas in model years 2002-2006. While the risk is small, it increases with time. 'It’s a game of Russian roulette,' he said." - 4/5/2014 article, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "A Carbondale professor, runaway Toyotas and the hunt for 'tin whiskers"'
Toyota and its government friends refuse to talk about it, but there's evidence galore of electronic issues associated with sudden, unintended acceleration. After all, the Recall King did fork over some payola to end the federal criminal "investigation," shamfully (sic) limited to floor mats and sticky gas pedals. It's obvious that Congress, NHTSA, and the DOJ put on one whopper of a performance, intended all along to let a filthy-rich corporate slob - with a cash stash of 60 billion bucks - off the hook, nobody jailed. More of the same is underway with GM.
Never mind that renowned embedded systems expert Michael Barr found bugs in Toyota's electronic throttle control and gave the Recall King a whuppin' in an Oklahoma court. Never mind that Mr. Barr's findings put the Recall King in "settlement mode" for hundreds of remaining unintended acceleration cases. And never mind that tenured professor Dr. David Gilbert impressed NASA - yes, NASA, but don't tell NHTSA - with electronics-related findings now supported by NASA physicist Henning Leidecker who refers to Dr. Gilbert as a "hero" regarding the tin whiskers issue. Physicist Leidecker has concluded that the risk of unintended acceleration increases as tin whiskers grow, and points to Toyota's redesign of pedal sensors, expressly intended to address the tin whisker risk. "Why would (Toyota) do that if tin whiskers were never a problem?" he asks. Of course, the Recall King simply ignored repeated requests to comment about Dr. Leidecker's remarks.
Soon to be published in the prestigious online engineering journal IEEE Access is yet another electronics study - this time by Dr. Antony Anderson - offering a detailed look at the potential for false speed signals to be accepted as authentic, triggering unverifiable instances of unintended acceleration. Dr. Anderson butts heads with NHTSA, demonstrating that "absence of proof" isn't "proof of absence."
A decent government would have taken a serious look at the unintended acceleration issue instead of trying to snow the public by grandstanding with NASA and then broadcasting an outright lie, claiming NASA had ruled out electronic involvement. NASA did no such thing, never claimed it had, and physicist Leidecker's outspoken interest in tin whiskers confirms it.
Instances of sudden unintended acceleration continue. For thousands of customers, Toyota's oil sludge fiasco never got resolved. Engine failures in MR2 Spyders are ignored, and class action lawsuits lining barrister pockets make headlines as Toyota treats customers like dirt.
Does anyone believe Toyota, GM, or the auto industry has changed for the better?
Updates 4/9/2014 -
> Yesterday, Dr. Antony Anderson's comments below the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article were apparently removed, and Dr. Anderson says no explanation was given. Dr. Anderson addressed some technical issues, stated his support for Dr. David Gilbert, and criticized Toyota's response to Dr. Gilbert's findings. Hopefully, Dr. Anderson's remarks will reappear.
> Another massive Toyota recall, and government stooge Yahoo is immediately removing comments I post referring to Michael Barr's findings, and Dr. Leidecker's concerns about the increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys. Censorship the American way.
Updates 4/10/2014 -
> Dr. Anderson's comments (see yesterday's update) on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article reappeared today. Right on!!! The public needs to know that Dr. Gilbert's findings have the support of other electrical engineers. Oops - mighta spoke too soon. Don't see the comments - I'm lookin' into the matter :-)
> The gist of my Yahoo comments (again, see yesterday's update) reappeared yesterday.
Updates 4/11/2014 -
> Dr. Anderson (see above updates) apparently encountered a log-in glitch. Hopefully, this will be cleared up today.
> Dr. Anderson's comments - with the sincere assistance of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch - are now posted. The problem turned out to be - wouldn't ya know it? - Facebook. Dr. Anderson was attempting to log in using his Facebook account, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch webmaster discovered that Facebook had designated Dr. Anderson as a "user who is suspiciously new," thereby blocking his efforts to post comments. I won't belabor the obvious absurdity.
Toyota and its government friends refuse to talk about it, but there's evidence galore of electronic issues associated with sudden, unintended acceleration. After all, the Recall King did fork over some payola to end the federal criminal "investigation," shamfully (sic) limited to floor mats and sticky gas pedals. It's obvious that Congress, NHTSA, and the DOJ put on one whopper of a performance, intended all along to let a filthy-rich corporate slob - with a cash stash of 60 billion bucks - off the hook, nobody jailed. More of the same is underway with GM.
Never mind that renowned embedded systems expert Michael Barr found bugs in Toyota's electronic throttle control and gave the Recall King a whuppin' in an Oklahoma court. Never mind that Mr. Barr's findings put the Recall King in "settlement mode" for hundreds of remaining unintended acceleration cases. And never mind that tenured professor Dr. David Gilbert impressed NASA - yes, NASA, but don't tell NHTSA - with electronics-related findings now supported by NASA physicist Henning Leidecker who refers to Dr. Gilbert as a "hero" regarding the tin whiskers issue. Physicist Leidecker has concluded that the risk of unintended acceleration increases as tin whiskers grow, and points to Toyota's redesign of pedal sensors, expressly intended to address the tin whisker risk. "Why would (Toyota) do that if tin whiskers were never a problem?" he asks. Of course, the Recall King simply ignored repeated requests to comment about Dr. Leidecker's remarks.
Soon to be published in the prestigious online engineering journal IEEE Access is yet another electronics study - this time by Dr. Antony Anderson - offering a detailed look at the potential for false speed signals to be accepted as authentic, triggering unverifiable instances of unintended acceleration. Dr. Anderson butts heads with NHTSA, demonstrating that "absence of proof" isn't "proof of absence."
A decent government would have taken a serious look at the unintended acceleration issue instead of trying to snow the public by grandstanding with NASA and then broadcasting an outright lie, claiming NASA had ruled out electronic involvement. NASA did no such thing, never claimed it had, and physicist Leidecker's outspoken interest in tin whiskers confirms it.
Instances of sudden unintended acceleration continue. For thousands of customers, Toyota's oil sludge fiasco never got resolved. Engine failures in MR2 Spyders are ignored, and class action lawsuits lining barrister pockets make headlines as Toyota treats customers like dirt.
Does anyone believe Toyota, GM, or the auto industry has changed for the better?
Updates 4/9/2014 -
> Yesterday, Dr. Antony Anderson's comments below the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article were apparently removed, and Dr. Anderson says no explanation was given. Dr. Anderson addressed some technical issues, stated his support for Dr. David Gilbert, and criticized Toyota's response to Dr. Gilbert's findings. Hopefully, Dr. Anderson's remarks will reappear.
> Another massive Toyota recall, and government stooge Yahoo is immediately removing comments I post referring to Michael Barr's findings, and Dr. Leidecker's concerns about the increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys. Censorship the American way.
Updates 4/10/2014 -
> Dr. Anderson's comments (see yesterday's update) on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article reappeared today. Right on!!! The public needs to know that Dr. Gilbert's findings have the support of other electrical engineers. Oops - mighta spoke too soon. Don't see the comments - I'm lookin' into the matter :-)
> The gist of my Yahoo comments (again, see yesterday's update) reappeared yesterday.
Updates 4/11/2014 -
> Dr. Anderson (see above updates) apparently encountered a log-in glitch. Hopefully, this will be cleared up today.
> Dr. Anderson's comments - with the sincere assistance of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch - are now posted. The problem turned out to be - wouldn't ya know it? - Facebook. Dr. Anderson was attempting to log in using his Facebook account, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch webmaster discovered that Facebook had designated Dr. Anderson as a "user who is suspiciously new," thereby blocking his efforts to post comments. I won't belabor the obvious absurdity.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Bloomberg covers for Toyota in sudden unintended acceleration case - blocks me from commenting
Last Friday, I e-mailed Paul Barrett - the presstitute media guy who wrote the one-sided, hand-wringin' article misrepresenting the facts about Toyota - that I was unable to log in to post comments on his article. I also filled out one of Bloomberg's online feedback forms and told them about the problems I was having getting logged in. Frankly, I had forgotten about Bloomberg's previous censorship (removal) of my comments about Toyota. Came across my earlier blog post quite by accident.
As of today, I continue to be blocked from posting comments on Mr. Barrett's sleazy article. I tried using Disqus, clicked icons for my Facebook, Twitter, and Google accounts, and everything still goes haywire.
Is there a method to Bloomberg's madness?
Any comments regarding Barrett's article were a long time coming. Kinda strange. Then Dr. Antony Anderson's superb rebuttal showed up. After a couple of days, one other comment critical of Toyota appeared. Meanwhile, I was discussing the weird comment situation with a friend. I speculated that trolls were staying quiet in an effort to avoid drawing attention to the Oklahoma case and the facts regarding Toyota being found guilty in a sudden unintended acceleration event. Facts about the Oklahoma case, highlighting Toyota - and NHTSA's - culpability in sudden unintended acceleration were startin' to come out, spreading like wildfire all over the Internet, including my blog.
Interestingly enough, an anonymous effort to rebut a comment I published (11/8/2013 3:28:01 PM) tried to convince me (11/8/2013 3:54:47 PM) - "Two million blogs will do nothing !" - that blogging about Toyota wouldn't make any difference. Of course, I replied (11/8/2013 6:02:12 PM) that such activities do make a difference, which is why businesses - especially coverup operations like Toyota - hire so-called "reputation management" companies to steer conversations, post fake reviews, etc. I referenced a recent court case involving a gang of corporate hirees gettin' sued for posting such garbage on Edmonds.com
Wouldn't ya know it? Today, a barrage of anonymous comments - including blabber attempting to defend Toyota - have suddenly appeared regarding Barrett's article. And I still can't get logged in...
Isn't it a shame that corporate-controlled America doesn't have a free press?
As of today, I continue to be blocked from posting comments on Mr. Barrett's sleazy article. I tried using Disqus, clicked icons for my Facebook, Twitter, and Google accounts, and everything still goes haywire.
Is there a method to Bloomberg's madness?
Any comments regarding Barrett's article were a long time coming. Kinda strange. Then Dr. Antony Anderson's superb rebuttal showed up. After a couple of days, one other comment critical of Toyota appeared. Meanwhile, I was discussing the weird comment situation with a friend. I speculated that trolls were staying quiet in an effort to avoid drawing attention to the Oklahoma case and the facts regarding Toyota being found guilty in a sudden unintended acceleration event. Facts about the Oklahoma case, highlighting Toyota - and NHTSA's - culpability in sudden unintended acceleration were startin' to come out, spreading like wildfire all over the Internet, including my blog.
Interestingly enough, an anonymous effort to rebut a comment I published (11/8/2013 3:28:01 PM) tried to convince me (11/8/2013 3:54:47 PM) - "Two million blogs will do nothing !" - that blogging about Toyota wouldn't make any difference. Of course, I replied (11/8/2013 6:02:12 PM) that such activities do make a difference, which is why businesses - especially coverup operations like Toyota - hire so-called "reputation management" companies to steer conversations, post fake reviews, etc. I referenced a recent court case involving a gang of corporate hirees gettin' sued for posting such garbage on Edmonds.com
Wouldn't ya know it? Today, a barrage of anonymous comments - including blabber attempting to defend Toyota - have suddenly appeared regarding Barrett's article. And I still can't get logged in...
Isn't it a shame that corporate-controlled America doesn't have a free press?
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Another recall. Bloomberg ignores evidence of Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration
Toyota's 2013 recall parade is marchin' right along. This time, it's defective valve springs in pickups and SUVs that can cause an engine to stop running. And this is not the first time the Recall King has found valve springs to be a manufacturing challenge. Amidst a 2010 valve-spring recall, a YouTube video appeared - along with an article on AutoBlog.com - addressing Toyota's problem with those pesky valve springs. C'mon, Recall King. Do tell. What's really going on with those springs?
Might cause an engine to stop running? What a hoot. For years, there have been formal complaints and postings all over the Internet about engines suddenly disintegrating in MR2 Spyders, and the Recall King hasn't seen fit to do anything other than stonewall. But of course, MR2 Spyders - unlike pickups and SUVs - are limited production vehicles, and this puts their owners at an extreme disadvantage when dealing with a corporate slob like Toyota. Lousy products and an equally lousy attitude toward customers. And talk about deceptive advertising. It's kinda hard to "Go Places" when your engine won't run. Even harder when your bank account has been depleted by the better part of $10,000...
Meanwhile, the "presstitute" media (as former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts calls it) is rushing to Toyota's aid now that an Oklahoma jury has handed down a guilty verdict in a sudden unintended acceleration case. Enter this one-sided, hand-wringin' article from Bloomberg, bemoaning the way courts are allowing lawsuits to proceed against poor ol' Toyota. Is anyone fooled? I've been blocked from commenting - weird things happen when I try to log in - and this is not the first time I've had problems getting comments published by Bloomberg. Fortunately, noted electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson submitted a comment offering a fantastic rebuttal to Paul Barrett's sheer blabber. Here's an excerpt from Dr. Anderson's remarks:
"If (Toyota) had fitted kill switches, very few people would have been killed and there would have been little or no litigation. Weeping crocodile tears 'about the individuals and families of anyone in an accident involving one of our vehicles' is no substitute for killing sudden accelerations stone dead with a device that will restrict fuel supply or air to the engine in an emergency."
Facts are starting to emerge - much of the technical data revealed in the Oklahoma trial is still secret - about Toyota's well-orchestrated efforts to conceal pertinent information about their Electronic Control Throttle System (ECTS) and their refusal to install relatively simple safety measures. The Recall King, NHTSA, and presstitute media gang is gettin' nervous.
Toyota's ad, "Let's Go Places" should include the kind of places you're liable to go if you purchase their products. The hospital, perhaps? Court? Or how about prison? Just ask Koua Fong Lee.
Might cause an engine to stop running? What a hoot. For years, there have been formal complaints and postings all over the Internet about engines suddenly disintegrating in MR2 Spyders, and the Recall King hasn't seen fit to do anything other than stonewall. But of course, MR2 Spyders - unlike pickups and SUVs - are limited production vehicles, and this puts their owners at an extreme disadvantage when dealing with a corporate slob like Toyota. Lousy products and an equally lousy attitude toward customers. And talk about deceptive advertising. It's kinda hard to "Go Places" when your engine won't run. Even harder when your bank account has been depleted by the better part of $10,000...
Meanwhile, the "presstitute" media (as former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts calls it) is rushing to Toyota's aid now that an Oklahoma jury has handed down a guilty verdict in a sudden unintended acceleration case. Enter this one-sided, hand-wringin' article from Bloomberg, bemoaning the way courts are allowing lawsuits to proceed against poor ol' Toyota. Is anyone fooled? I've been blocked from commenting - weird things happen when I try to log in - and this is not the first time I've had problems getting comments published by Bloomberg. Fortunately, noted electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson submitted a comment offering a fantastic rebuttal to Paul Barrett's sheer blabber. Here's an excerpt from Dr. Anderson's remarks:
"If (Toyota) had fitted kill switches, very few people would have been killed and there would have been little or no litigation. Weeping crocodile tears 'about the individuals and families of anyone in an accident involving one of our vehicles' is no substitute for killing sudden accelerations stone dead with a device that will restrict fuel supply or air to the engine in an emergency."
Facts are starting to emerge - much of the technical data revealed in the Oklahoma trial is still secret - about Toyota's well-orchestrated efforts to conceal pertinent information about their Electronic Control Throttle System (ECTS) and their refusal to install relatively simple safety measures. The Recall King, NHTSA, and presstitute media gang is gettin' nervous.
Toyota's ad, "Let's Go Places" should include the kind of places you're liable to go if you purchase their products. The hospital, perhaps? Court? Or how about prison? Just ask Koua Fong Lee.
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