February 2010
Toyota Recalls
Toyota announced on Jan 21st that it is recalling 270,000 vehicles in Canada and 2.3 million in the U.S. to address sticky accelerator pedals. And on Jan. 26th, the automaker announced it is temporarily suspending sales of the affected models and stopping production at some North American plants to deal with the issue.
According to Toyota, they are recalling the vehicles because, “There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.” On February 1st, Toyota announced a remedy for the problem that involves reinforcing the pedal to eliminate excess friction.
Models affected are:
- 2009-2010 RAV4
- 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2009-2010 Matrix
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2010 Highlander
- 2008-2010 Sequoia
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2007-2010 Tundra
This recall is separate from the one issued in October 2009 that affected 4.2 million vehicles in the U.S. and 200,000 in Canada. The October recall was for accelerator pedals that could become stuck in an open position due to an unsecured or incompatible floor mat. Vehicles affected include Toyota models Avalon, Camry, Prius, Tacoma, and Tundra as well as several Lexus models. Model years range from 2004 to 2010. This initial recall was expanded on January 28th to include an additional 1.1 million vehicles sold in the U.S. (2008-2010 Toyota Highlander and 2009-2010 Toyota Corolla, Venza, Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe).
Up to 1.8 million European vehicles covering eight models are also recalled for sticky gas pedals, as well as more than 75,000 RAV4s manufactured in China.
Details can be found on Toyota’s Canadian and U.S. websites Toyota.ca and Toyota.com including tips on what to do if your accelerator sticks.
No matter what you drive, if you experience a problem with your vehicle that you feel may be a safety issue, be sure to report it to Transport Canada at www.tc.gc.ca or the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
January 2010
New Cell Phone Legislation
Collision Analysis wishes everyone a happy and safe 2010. We trust all of you made wise transportation decisions after ringing in the New Year by choosing not to drink and drive. And, if you were driving in certain parts of western Canada, we trust you remembered not to dial and drive. While many of us celebrated 2010 with toasts, resolutions, and singing of Auld Lang Syne, British Columbia and Saskatchewan ushered in the New Year with new cell phone legislation.
As of January 1st, B.C. and Saskatchewan joined a growing list of provinces and states that have banned hand-held cell phones while driving. Ontario recently joined the list in October. Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island have similar rules. Manitoba's proposed cell phone ban is expected to be proclaimed into law during 2010. Alberta and New Brunswick are the only two provinces in Canada without existing legislation (and the three territories).
In the U.S., seven states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) and the District of Columbia prohibit hand-held cell phone use by all drivers. Numerous other states target bus drivers and new drivers only. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia make it illegal for all drivers to text and drive, and nine states target texting and driving to beginner drivers only. For more information about U.S. cell phone laws, go to www.iihs.org.
No province or state currently bans all drivers from using hands-free phones, despite studies that show their use carries similar risks to hand-held phones. It has been shown that the crash risk increases approximately four-fold while talking on a hand-held or hands-free phone and 23-fold while texting.
December 2009
Season's Greetings!
All of us at Collision Analysis wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season.
In lieu of cards and gifts, Collision Analysis donated time for its staff to work at a local charity. This year we selected a homeless shelter and spent the morning of December 15th sorting donations. It was heartwarming to see the donations pouring in and know that the spirit of giving is alive and well in spite of the global recession.
November 2009
Advanced Biomechanical Analysis with MADYMO
Collision Analysis has recently acquired MADYMO (MAthematical DYnamical MOdel), a highly complex computer modeling program that can be used in forensic biomechanical investigations to analyze the movement and injury response of the human body to impact. MADYMO is the worldwide standard for automotive occupant impact analysis.
Click here to view examples of MADYMO animations and learn more about the program.