A government probe into safety problems at Toyota found no electronic flaws to account for reports of sudden, unintentional acceleration, the Washington Post reported on Feb. 8.
The probe analyzed 280,000 lines of code used to run Toyota's vehicles for flaws and examined whether electromagnetic radiation might have played a role. Instead the accidents, which prompted the recall of eight million vehicles in the United States, were blamed on mechanical problems with a "sticking" accelerator pedal and floor mats.
Both issues were the subject of massive recalls by Toyota.
But the Transportation Department said it would impose new regulations that require brake override systems, standardize keyless ignition systems and put event data recorders in all vehicles.
Amid a rapid digitization of vehicles, the department also said it would further research the reliability and security of electronic control systems.
Toyota has paid the U.S. authorities nearly $50 million in penalties related to the recalls.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2011
