Tragic details are revealed in NHTSA memo about the Lexus that crashed at almost 100 MPH after the gas pedal became stuck on the floormat, leading to the immolation and death of the four family-members inside, and Toyota’s 3.8 million vehicle recall.
1. “The Lexus eventually came to rest in a dry riverbed where it burned for an extended period of time.” Presumably, the family inside also burned for an extended period of time.
2. “No attempts to retrieve data from the EDR [Event Data Recorder] have yet been made.” Why not?
2. Why significant factor #5 blacked out?
3. As commenters noted, the 3 seconds to push the pushbutton ignition could have been a problem.
4. This picture does not even look like a car anymore. It looks like a Cthulhu abortion.
5. Note how the all-weather mat is bonded to the pedal.
6. The car was a loaner while the driver’s car was in the shop, which would explain why he wasn’t familiar with its every nook and cranny, or its unique “hold the start button for 3-seconds to shut off the engine while the car is moving” feature.
If you’re driving and your gas pedal gets stuck, put the car in neutral until you can slow and get off the road.