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It is possible for electromagnetic compatibility tests to replicate sudden acceleration in the laboratory, but in the application of normal testing, we should not expect to find anything, according to Armstrong. Based on complaints tallied by NHTSA, to detect one sudden acceleration in just one model would require testing 36 vehicles, 24/7, for 10 years—testing that is not practical to do.
Automakers claim that no danger is posed because they build in “redundant systems”—but that’s not foolproof unless they are truly independent, according to the engineers. EMI can affect both systems the same way. Anderson showed that the two systems lie physically next to each other. It would seem that interference affecting one would affect the other.
A safety override must be a totally independent system, said Armstrong. Safety cannot be achieved by relying only on complex electronic systems. To reduce risk to an acceptable level, independent “fail safes” or backup systems are required. “But the auto industry continues to ignore standard safety engineering principles … even though a modern vehicle is actually a computer controlled machine,” writes Armstrong.
The problem is not recent—sudden accelerations occurred in the late 1980s—and all automakers are subject to EMI and software faults. Toyota is only the most recent auto manufacturer to be confronted by frequent runaway vehicles.
However, Clarence Ditlow, Center for Auto Safety, said that Toyota is avoiding responsibility. He provided a list of nine “exemplary” vehicle-software recalls where the electronic control module or another system became a safety hazard. BMW, General Motors, Nissan, and Mercedes-Benz voluntarily recalled vehicles and reprogrammed the module upon recall.
With over a hundred deaths from sudden accelerations and the number continuing to rise, Toyota has an incentive to find the true cause of the problem.
