Toyota Problems Are A Big Deal, but….

Without question, the ongoing Toyota saga involving defective floor mats, defective gas pedals and now defective brakes is a big deal. In its effort to become the worlds largest motor vehicle manufacturer there appears to have been an emphasis on quantity over quality.

There can be no question that all of the deaths associated with any of these defects is tragic and needless.

There can be no question that Toyota’s actions in possibly stonewalling on these problems show a typical corporate mentality that places profit over people.

And yet…

It is an undeniable fact that driver behavior is the number one factor in relation to deaths caused in traffic accidents. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2008 statistics indicate that in 2008, almost 6,000 deaths and 515,000 injuries were caused or contributed to by distracted driving.

Talking on the cell phone; texting; using your handheld device; eating; adjusting the radio, cd or ipod; or looking at your GPS device all while driving are activities that pose a much greater risk of immediate harm to the public at large than the issues faced by Toyota drivers.

While mandating safer vehicles and remedying vehicle defects is certainly part of the solution, the focus on cutting traffic injuries and deaths should be on increased education and enforcement.  As Kansas City lawyers who see the first hand effect of injuries and deaths caused in car and truck accidents, we believe that this is a far more effective long term solution to these problems than an undue emphasis on vehicle defects.