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Mark Saylor Incident: Toyota Acceleration Issues
Apr 26, 2025
Lecture on the Mark Saylor Incident and Toyota's Unintended Acceleration Issue
Introduction to the Incident
Date: August 28th, 2009
Mark Saylor's car: A loaner from a Toyota dealership
Passengers: His wife, daughter, and brother-in-law
Incident: Car accelerated to 120 mph, unable to brake, resulting in a fatal crash after driving into a ravine
911 Call: Recorded and went viral, highlighting the inability to stop the car
Public and Legal Reaction
Blame placed on Toyota by the public and victims' families
Reports of similar unintended acceleration issues across various Toyota models
Toyota's response:
Recalled 10 million vehicles over 2 years
Paid $1.2 billion fine to the US government
Spent $1.1 billion on a class-action lawsuit
Initial Theories and Investigations
Early blame placed on loose floor mats causing unintended acceleration
Malcolm Gladwell's Podcast:
Suggests that brakes should stop a car even if the accelerator is engaged
Conducted experiments showing brakes overpowering the engine
The Concept of Muscle Memory and Pedal Error
Unfamiliar vehicles can lead to muscle memory issues
Drivers may mistakenly press the gas instead of the brake
2011 NHTSA and NASA report found many drivers in such cases didn't touch the brake pedal
Power Assisted Brakes - The Overlooked Factor
New findings: Power-assisted brakes can lose functionality if the brake is lifted
Consumer Reports' testing:
Highlighted the issue with power-assisted brakes losing power if lifted
Demonstrated how this could prevent a car from slowing down effectively
Conclusion
Mark Saylor's incident likely caused by a combination of a loose floor mat and the power-assisted brake issue
Importance of understanding vehicle mechanics and differences when driving unfamiliar cars
Ongoing implications for automotive safety and consumer awareness
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Full transcript