Page 12 - Toyota Under Fire

Preface

Everyone who has ever driven a
car has experienced those moments when the car seems to take
on a life of its own, when it seems to be about to, or in fact does,
escape from our control. That’s why the harrowing recording
of the Saylor family’s desperate call for help to 911, while their
loaner Lexus vehicle was roaring out of control on a San Diego
freeway in August 2009, caught the national attention. All four
passengers in the vehicle died when the car crashed before their
plea for help could be answered.
The Saylors’ tragic ride epitomizes our worst fears about our
cars. Since we use them daily, it’s easy to forget that we are direct-
ing thousands of pounds of steel at speeds twice as fast as a race-
horse at full gallop, with only a small wheel and a couple of pedals
to keep it all under control. What if those controls stopped obey-
ing us? What if these magnificent feats of engineering took on a
life of their own? A brief survey of hit movies over the last two de-
cades shows that this fear is quite prevalent in our subconscious.
The fact that Mark Saylor was a veteran California Highway
Patrol officer added to the fear and confusion. If a police officer
couldn’t bring the car under control, who could? Understandably,
the public wanted answers. Could this happen to them?
Thus the Saylors’ tragic and unnecessary deaths, four lives
among the more than 30,000 that are lost on American highways

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