EDITORIAL: Combining mind forces for Toyota
It’s not rocket science, but it might be as tricky. So that’s why it makes smart sense for the government to employ NASA scientists to try to find out what is dogging Toyota automobiles lately.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the pairing March 29 with high hopes that our best scientific minds can offer solutions for the automaker.
NASA scientists with expertise in electronics will study electronic ties that might be causing the unexpected acceleration problem cited in certain Toyota models.
“Their outside expertise, fresh eyes and fresh research perhaps can tell us if electronics have played a role in these accelerations,” LaHood said.
We all certainly hope so.
The months of scrutiny, unanswered questions and suppositions have been an agony for the automaker, as well as its customers. Worldwide, 8 million Toyotas have been recalled — 6 million in the United States.
This also is a fine use of NASA employees and comes at a time when the space agency has announced cuts to some of its divisions, such as Constellation and space exploration.
Why not re-appropriate NASA workers and literally bring their skills back home, instead of having them focus on problems a thousand light-years away?
In a statement, Toyota called this “just the kind of science-based examination we have been calling for. Bringing some sunshine to this subject is bound to separate fact from fiction, which will be good for Toyota, the industry and the motoring public.”
LaHood has promised Congress his department will not stop until it gets to the bottom of this. And he’s asked the Transportation Department inspector general to review whether the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has what it needs to work this out.
In addition, the National Academy of Sciences also has been asked to run some studies to help settle the issue.
We like it when government works with itself, not against. Rather than point fingers at each other, this time the different agencies are going to focus on the problems.
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