Government weighs post-Toyota "black box" requirement

By John Crawley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Safety regulators are weighing whether to make "black boxes" mandatory for all new vehicles in response to recent unintended acceleration problems in Toyota Motor Corp vehicles.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland told a congressional hearing the agency would be looking at the possibility of requiring the devices that can capture data on speed, braking effort and other details.

Strickland also said he was conducting a full review of NHTSA's legal authority and whether it had the tools necessary to oversee automakers at a time when vehicles are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

"When I was sworn in two months ago, I felt it was important to look at whether there was a need to improve NHTSA's effectiveness in this era of global marketplace and rapidly changing technologies," Strickland told a House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittee.

Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles globally for unintended acceleration since October, either involving accelerators trapped by floormats or a sticky pedal mechanism.

Toyota has also said it will install brake override technology on new vehicles and some older models, to ensure the engine returns to idle if the brake is pressed.

Strickland said NHTSA may make that feature, already found in some other makes, mandatory for all new cars. It is also assessing the need for performance standards for gas pedals.

U.S. officials have linked the unintended acceleration problems in Toyota vehicles to five deaths and are examining whether 47 other fatalities may be involved.

Most new vehicles are equipped with electronic recorders and the information can be vital in reconstructing accidents. But their installation is voluntary and the ease of accessing the data varies widely.

Toyota has recently pledged to provide more data readers for its black boxes.

NHTSA CRITICS

Answering critics who say that the NHTSA did not investigate complaints about Toyota vehicles thoroughly, the agency is reviewing whether software-driven electronic throttles played any role in the unintended acceleration complaints.

Toyota says its electronic systems are sound and NHTSA previously found no problems.

Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator and longtime consumer advocate, blames NHTSA leaders over the years for giving low priority to enforcement and not using their full authority to investigate complaints and possible defects.

"NHTSA's new leadership must change the agency's performance and results," Claybrook said, adding that Congress should start by sharply increasing funding and toughening civil and criminal penalties for violating safety laws.

Strickland, a lawyer and top Senate aide before taking the top job at NHTSA, defended the agency's handling of Toyota as well as its investigative record.

"A lapdog doesn't open any investigations," Strickland said in response to Claybrook's frequently cited characterization of the agency.

Strickland said NHTSA receives more than 30,000 complaints annually, mainly from motorists. It received 10,000 complaints in February alone after the Toyota recalls and resulting publicity.

U.S. TRAFFIC DEATHS

Separately on Thursday, NHTSA projected that U.S. traffic deaths have hit their lowest level in since the mid-1950s. The agency expects the 2009 fatality count to drop 8.9 percent to 33,963 from a year earlier, its lowest level since 1954.

The projected fatality rate also fell to 1.16 per million miles traveled from 1.25 deaths in 2008, which would be the lowest on record.

Regulators attributed the decline to stepped up enforcement and consumer education efforts, including programs to highlight the dangers of drunk and distracted driving.

But the sluggish economy also likely played a role, with statistics showing overall driving down year over year.

Final numbers for highway crashes and deaths are not due for several months.

(Reporting by John Crawley; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)