MENU
SEARCHWASHINGTON - During Congressional testimony Wednesday, Feb. 24, Toyota President Akio Toyoda apologized to the U.S. and American Toyota vehicle owners for any company safety lapses and vowed to change the way the company responds to customer complaints about vehicle safety in the future.
WASHINGTON - During Congressional testimony Wednesday, Feb. 24, Toyota President Akio Toyoda apologized to the U.S. and American Toyota vehicle owners for any company safety lapses and vowed to change the way the company responds to customer complaints about vehicle safety in the future.
The hearing was called to address public concerns about sudden unintended acceleration of certain Toyota vehicles and the company's response to the problem.
"I am deeply sorry for any accident that Toyota drivers have experienced," Toyoda told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He suggested that Toyota's quick expansion in the past several years may have led Toyota to focus too much on company growth and not enough on safety as the leading priority.
Toyoda vowed to change the company's safety recall decision-making process in the future. This reform effort will give regional management more decision-making power in such matters. In the past, all decisions on conducting safety recalls came from the Customer Quality Engineering Division at Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan, he said.
The company will also take new measures to ensure that management understands safety issues from the customer's perspective and that customer complaints are addressed in a timely manner. "Further, we will form a quality advisory group composed of respected outside experts from North America and around the world to ensure that we do not make a misguided decision," Toyoda said.
The company will also invest more in quality control, establish an Automotive Center of Quality Excellence, create a new product safety executive position, and promote greater communication within the company about defects and recalls and other quality matters, he said.
In response to questions from lawmakers, Toyoda said he was "absolutely confident" that there was no design flaw in the company's electronic throttle control system. Toyota has blamed the episodes of sudden acceleration on floor mat entrapment and sticking gas pedals. However, during testimony before the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Tuesday, Feb. 23, James E. Lentz, Toyota's top U.S. sales executive, acknowledged the possibility that there may be other causes as well.
More than 6 million vehicles have been recalled in the U.S. because of the sudden acceleration problem.
Distracted driving remains one of the most persistent risks in fleet operations. New approaches focus on removing mobile device use entirely while adding real-time safety support.
Read More →
As distraction risks evolve, fleets are turning to smarter, more connected technologies to better understand what’s happening behind the wheel. Part 2 explores how these tools are helping identify risky behaviors and improve visibility across operations.
Read More →
What fleets capture to improve safety can also expose them in litigation, forcing leaders to rethink how data is managed, stored, and shared.
Read More →
Distracted driving is often measured by what we can see—phones in hand, eyes off the road. But what about the distractions we can’t? A recent incident raises a bigger question about awareness, attention, and why subtle risks so often go unnoticed.
Read More →
While serious crashes are declining, a rise in minor incidents and ongoing risk hotspots underscore the need for continued fleet safety investment.
Read More →
Fleets have more driver data than ever, so why isn't behavior changing? Training requires more than reports and coaching — it requires real-world practice.
Read More →
A two-part conversation with Stefan Heck on how AI is transforming the fight against distracted driving. As fleets adopt smarter tools, the focus shifts from reacting to preventing risk. In Part 1, we look at where AI is making an impact for fleets today.
Read More →
More people on foot means more risk for drivers. These pedestrian safety tips can help prevent serious injuries and keep everyone safer on the road.
Read More →
Safer crews. Fewer incidents. Better uptime. Learn how driver-assist technology is changing the way vocational fleets operate.
Read More →
An 11% drop in pedestrian fatalities in early 2025 signals progress in U.S. road safety, but elevated death rates and ongoing risks underscore the need for continued action from fleets and policymakers.
Read More →
