Senator suggests banning Japanese-made cars
By James R. Healey, USA TODAY
A senator said Tuesday that the U.S. should consider banning Japanese-made cars until Japan's government guarantees the vehicles are safe.
It would be no different than Japan's multiyear ban on U.S. beef about fears it might carry BSE (mad cow disease), said Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. He was Agriculture secretary during the beef disputes with Japan.
"I'm as free-trade asanybody here, but I can tell you the American consumer is getting tired of this thing if we are getting substandard products," Johanns said.
His suggestion, which his staff said was rhetorical and not meant as a threat, came during a Senate committee hearing on Toyota's safety recalls and government regulators' performance in dealing with sudden-acceleration complaints against Toyota.
It was the third time in eight days that Toyota officials were called to Capitol Hill to explain why the company didn't move faster to recall vehicles due to unintended acceleration that the Department of Transportation, in new totals released Tuesday, links to 52 deaths in 43 crashes.
As for banning Japanese-made vehicles: All 2.4 million Toyotas recalled Jan. 21 due to sticky gas pedals, and most of the 5.6 million vehicles recalled because floor mats might jam pedals, were assembled in the USA.
Later in the hearing, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Johanns' issue "needs to be raised" and promised to discuss with the Japanese ambassador a more vigorous role by Japan's government in safety oversight.
The Japanese Embassy, after consulting with officials in Tokyo, said in an e-mail that, "Toyota is stating that it will take appropriate measures promptly," and "we will follow this very closely."
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation members seemed more intent on why LaHood's department hasn't already required all cars sold in the U.S. to have brake-override systems. They cut power when a car's computer senses the throttle is open, yet the driver is standing on the brakes, as in unintended acceleration.
Committee Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., noted that Toyota doesn't use brake-override technology, but some "other carmakers adopted this feature years ago." It is, he said, "not a costly mechanical fix. It's instructions you program into the car's computer."
Toyota has said it will install the feature on its seven models with computers that are compatible and will have it on all future models.
LaHood agreed that an override mandate is a good idea, and said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is studying it. |
