Recalled Toyota's 19 times safer than walking

A new Congressional logo?

I am not a Toyota apologist. Yes, I own and drive a Toyota hybrid, but that's only because they've provided the best choice in hybrid cars when I've hybrid shopped. Nevertheless, I'd dump Toyota as my brand of choice in a heartbeat if I found a more cost-effective hybrid that fulfilled my needs.

Ultimately, the only thing I really like about Toyota are their efforts into hybrid cars. As I stated earlier today, last year Toyota sold about a 1/2 million hybrid cars. Ford, the leading US manufacturer of hybrids, sold about 30,000 hybrids. That's what I like about Toyota. And that's partially while I've defended Toyota during this recall 'scandal'. Inevitably, a healthy Toyota puts pressure on US automakers to develop more fuel efficient vehicles.

Moreover, I've defended Toyota because Congress simply isn't making much sense. And, when someone exerts a lot of effort advancing illogical endeavors, especially on my dime, I take offense. Is Congress just illogical, inept? Is this related to the bailout? I don't know, but something stinks.

For instance, anyone looking at safety, crash and death statistics in the automotive sector - which I assume Congress has done - will find that the Toyotagate recall scandal isn't much of an issue, at least if the actual numbers of crashes and deaths matter. In fact, according to death statistics, it is 19 times safer to drive a recalled Toyota than it is to walk.

Besides, if Congress really wanted to save lives in the automotive sector, they'd simply outlaw SUVs. In one swift move 10,000+ lives per year would be saved, and we could probably stop importing OPEC oil.

Then again, in light of these scandalous walking statistics, I think Congress should form a panel on the benefits of outlawing walking.

House investigation set to ban SUVs!

Time to start saving lives?

Finally! One of the more interesting angles to come out of Toyotagate is Dimitrios Biller.

Biller's testimony regarding SUV rollover - completely unrelated to unintended acceleration - and Toyota's attempt to 'cover-it up' demonstrates, " a systematic disregard for the law and routine violation of court discovery orders in litigation," stated House oversight committee Chairman Edolphus Towns.

Well, thanks for opening up that can of worms, Mr. Towns! So, how many people have died in Ford Explorers in the last few decades? How does Ford's coverup compare to Toyota's? More important, why, for decades, has Congress willingly allowed the SUV rollover cover-up to continue?

For the past few weeks Congress has taken numerous opportunities to slam Toyota and the NTHSA. What about Congress?

34 people have died via Toyota's unintended acceleration. Unacceptable and horrible, no doubt. Nonetheless, for decades, Congress enabled more than 100,000 to die, despite mountains of evidence demonstrating SUV design flaws covered up in thousands of lawsuits involving every major automaker.

Maybe it's time for an independent investigation of Congress?

Toyotagate: House Panel more concerned with Big 3 profits than safety?

10,000 rollover deaths per year

Since 2000 there have been 2,600 complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles that have led to 34 deaths. Rather than fix this problem, according to a Congressional Panel, Toyota was 'more concerned with profits than safety'.

Of course, since 2000, Toyota has sold many tens of millions of vehicles, and more than 99.9 percent of them have been safer and more reliable than most other brands on the road then or today. So, it isn't that surprising that Toyota was slow to react, or that they assumed the problem must be with drivers.

Nonetheless, 34 people have died. For that, Toyota deserves some vilification.

Still, in the last decade, for instance, anyone driving a Honda Civic has been 2 times safer than someone driving a Chevy Cavalier. Why? Was GM more concerned with profits than safety? Likewise years of crash data demonstrate that foreign autos are consistently and significantly safer than domestic autos. Why? Did the Big 3 sacrifice safety for profits?

Finally, there is the House Panel itself, now led by Michigan's own John Dingell, a fearless lobbyist - I mean Congressperson - for GM and the Big 3.

Finish: Toyotagate - House Panel more concerned with profits than safety

And yet 10,000 deaths per year means so little

Weak roofs are just one SUV design defect

Perhaps you've had enough recall news for the week? Well, forgive me then, but I'd just like to use the Toyota recall to demonstrate the silliness of American culture.

Today, foreign oil dependence is a hugely important talking point, and that's it, it's only a talking point. Nobody wants to take any real action, at least not today. It's always about tomorrow.

Certainly, we can't do the obvious, simple stuff than can be done today, like making our vehicles smaller and lighter to easily increase fuel economy and reduce foreign oil consumption. Our personal safety is just too important.

And safety drives the US auto industry, right? That's why the Toyota recall scandal is SOOO important. It must be terribly important because it's possible that a few people died due to a design defect.

Ironically, however, every year around 10,000 people die in SUV rollovers, many of which are significantly due to design defects, such as overly high centers of gravity, inadequate roof structures, defective tires, defective door latches and overly narrow tire tracks - all of which are design defects that the auto industry has known about for decades.

Consequently, for decades, the US auto industry has been largely driven by an entirely defective automotive design that directly kills thousands of SUV drivers every year - mostly in single vehicle accidents - while guzzling massive amounts of foreign oil and killing everything else that gets in its way.

And yet 10,000 deaths per year continues to mean so little.