The U.S. Department of Transportation has analyzed dozens of data recorders from Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles involved in accidents blamed on sudden acceleration and found that the throttles were wide open and the brakes weren’t engaged at the time of the crash, people familiar with the findings said.

…The initial findings are consistent with a 1989 government-sponsored study that blamed similar driver mistakes for a rash of sudden-acceleration reports involving Audi 5000 sedans.

The Toyota findings appear to support Toyota’s position that sudden-acceleration reports involving its vehicles weren’t caused by electronic glitches in computer-controlled throttle systems, as some safety advocates and plaintiffs’ attorneys have alleged. More than 100 people have sued the car maker over crashes they claim were the result of faulty electronics.

A while back, I suggested (while drinking, if I recall correctly) that anyone who crashed a Toyota should just blame their mistakes on a vehicular HAL 9000:

One case studied by U.S. regulators involves Myrna Marseille of Kohler, Wis., who reported in March that her 2009 Toyota Camry accelerated out of control and crashed into a building.

…Police in Sheboygan Falls, Wis., investigated and believe driver error was to blame, Chief Steven Riffel said Tuesday. He said surveillance video showed that the brake lights didn’t illuminate until after the crash. But Mr. Riffel said that determination is preliminary and that his agency has turned over the investigation to NHTSA.

…Ms. Marseille sticks by her story. “It makes me very angry when someone tells me, ‘She probably hit the gas pedal instead,’ because I think it’s a sexist comment, an ageist comment,” she said.

In the long run, it looks like God’s down with the assholes.

Via Radley Balko.

More potentially-related posts:

1. Let’s go, Toyota.
2. Serendipity.
3. Zap. Zoom.

However, after Ford wrote an article for the NYT pointing out that helmets tested under the old rating system were still carrying Snell approval stickers (and ultimately recommending DOT-approved helmets), Shoei and Arai (two big-name helmet makers) started pulling ads from the magazine¹, and Ford was ultimately fired. The company has since attempted to circle the wagons, but it’s pretty obvious they were bowing to pressure. There’s a whole lot of documentation, none of which looks good for Motorcyclist.

Of course, this bottom-line-driven behavior isn’t limited to motorcycle rags, and is symptomatic of the general decline of large, for-profit media companies.

More potentially-related posts:

1. Rest easy, Mom.
2. Zap. Zoom.
3. Serendipity.

More potentially-related posts:

1. Linkwad.
2. Linkwad (updated).
3. Linkwad.

More potentially-related posts:

1. They say a change is gonna come.
2. Home, sweet home.
3. Lucky peach.

1. Shift into neutral for acceleration, or downshift for brake failure.
2. Apply the brakes. If your brakes are out, gently engage the emergency brake.
3. Hit your emergency flashers, find somewhere to pull over and kill the engine.

More potentially-related posts:

1. Crash test dummies.
2. Oh, go to hell.
3. Ska is not a crime.

Senegal’s President Wade decided, in the face of the tragic events unfolding in Haiti, to offer the gift of mobility to earthquake victims. That’s right, he’s offering to “repatriate” (in his words) the people of Haiti to Senegal. Seeing as how Haiti was founded by freed slaves, he figured they might want an opportunity to resettle in their homeland. And he says he’s willing to give them an entire region (though, his aide emphasized, to be clear, it would be a fertile region and not the northern deserts. We volunteers are thinking he’s trying to take a chance to boot out the rebels in the southern forests and resettle them with imported Haitians. Honestly, I will never understand the man.)

Whatever his true motives are, I rather like the idea. As several bloggers have pointed out, the United States certainly could afford to let some more Haitian earthquake survivors into the country (And take a look at immigration policies in general, while they’re at it).

More potentially-related posts:

1. Suburban ghettoes.

It also underscores the need for effective regional mass transit, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.

And of course, the news doesn’t change the fact that 23% of Baltimore’s 625,000-strong population fall below the poverty line, including over 30% of minors. So Baltimore still got problems.

More potentially-related posts:

1. Guinea pigs are also effective.
2. My major was convicted.
3. Knock on wood.

The only downside: these shoes were designed by one of the All-American Rejects (I had to look up what AAR stood for).

More potentially-related posts:

1. The midwest is young and restless.
2. Lucky peach.
3. Sprezzatura.

[H]orseback riding has been identified as a higher-risk activity than automobile racing, motorcycle riding, football, and skiing, and at least as dangerous as rugby. Equestrian riding also is considered to have the highest mortality of all sports, with an annual death rate of 1 per 1 million population. This reality is not surprising because a horse weighs up to 500 kg, moves at a speed of 65 km/h, elevates the rider 3 meters above the ground, and kicks with a force of nearly 1 ton. A horse also is more unpredictable than either a motorcycle or a racecar.

Don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys, and never buy your kids that pony.

More potentially-related posts:

1. The almighty dollar.
2. That’s great, it starts with an earthquake.

More potentially-related posts:

1. A clear, bright morning.
2. One step closer.
3. Rest easy, Mom.