Prius Fixed Under Recall Still Speeds Out of Control

James Sikes was driving his 2008 Toyota Prius last week when unintended acceleration hit. Before calling 911, he reached down to pull up his stuck accelerator pedal, but it didn't move.

"My car can't slow down," he began when a California Highway Patrol dispatcher answered his call.

Dispatcher Leighann Parks, repeatedly told him to throw the car into neutral but got no answers, later found out he had to set the phone on the seat next to him in order to apply both hands to the wheel.

Finally, Todd Neibert, the CHP officer caught up with him and gave instructions to Sikes over a loudspeaker as they went east on mountainous Interstate 8 in San Diego County Monday afternoon, stating he smelled burning brakes when he caught up with the Prius.

Neibert told Sikes to shift into neutral but the driver shook his head no, later telling reporters he was afraid his car would flip. Sikes did, however apply his brake; straightening his body and lifting off the seat in order to press it down fully and applied the emergency brake.

Both cars maneuvered around two trucks going uphill to a clear, open road giving Neibert about 15 miles to stop the Prius before a steep downgrade and even considered spike strips to puncture the tires as a last resort.

The wild ride lasted 23 minutes, and finally, the Prius rolled to a stop.

Ironically, James Sikes' Prius was one of the vehicles serviced in the recall for floor mats.

Toyota has recalled around 8.5 million vehicles worldwide (over 6 million in the U.S. alone) due to acceleration problems in multiple models and for braking issues in the Prius. Regulators link 52 deaths to crashes caused by accelerator problems. And there are over 60 more reports of sudden acceleration in cars "fixed" under the recall.

Cell Phone Use Growing

PEMCO Insurance issued a news release today, March 2, that shows more and more Washingtonian drivers admit to using hand-held devices while driving. The PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll, conducted by FBK Research, shows that the number of drivers using hand-held cell phones has more than doubled in the past 20 months, from 17% to 41%. Texting while driving also is growing, jumping from 3% of Washington drivers just 20 months ago to 22%.

Thank you to PEMCO Insurance Company

Government Bans Texting By Truck And Bus Drivers

The Transportation Department decided January 26th that it is prohibiting truck and bus drivers from sending text messages on hand-held devices while operating commercial vehicles.

The prohibition applies to interstate buses and truckers over 10,000 pounds and is effective immediately. Truck and bus drivers who violate the new ban may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2750.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already prohibit all drivers from texting behind the wheel, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Another 10 states restrict texting by novice (i.e. teen) drivers.

Research by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows that drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting, the department said. At 55 miles per hour, this means that the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road, the department said.


Thank you to NPR.

Career Changes & Children Likely to Prompt Women to Purchase a Car

For women, purchasing a car can often be triggered by major life events, particularly changes in employment and family, according to a recent survey conducted for CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars.

Sixty percent of women surveyed indicated that a change in their career, whether it was a new job (37 percent) or retirement (23 percent), would be most likely to initiate the purchase of a vehicle. However, for women between the ages of 18 and 34, forty-one percent responded more likely to purchase a car when they become pregnant or welcomed another child into the family, a similar percentage as those surveyed who chose “new job” in the same age group.

“Many personal factors affect women shopping for a car,” said Donna Wassel, Southwest region vice president of CarMax. “Changes in family and employment create an opportunity to evaluate your current driving situation. If a car purchase is right for you, shopping at a no-hassle, no-haggle car retailer such as CarMax can make the experience a fun and enjoyable one.”

The following are the results of the recent poll that asked women: Of the following life events, which is most likely to prompt you to purchase a car?




The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of CarMax. The national sample consisted of more than 500 U.S. women, aged 18 and older who were interviewed online August 17 through August 19, 2009.

PEMCO news release addresses politeness while driving

PEMCO Insurance issued a news release today, September 10, that reveals Washington drivers’ perceptions of how polite – or aggressive – their fellow motorists are. The PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll, conducted by FBK Research, shows that women drivers consider themselves more polite, male drivers consider themselves more aggressive, and Western Washington drivers consider themselves slightly more polite than do Eastern Washington drivers. Also, it's amusing to note that all drivers see themselves as more polite than "the other guy," saying they witness other drivers being erratic or rude nearly 10 times as often.