US government exonerates Toyota

Preliminary investigations into a series of fatal traffic accidents in the US which were allegedly caused by a technical problem with Toyota vehicles exonerate Japanese carmaker Toyota and place the blame on driver errors instead. Toyota should take action, writes the online version of the daily Der Standard: "Even if Toyota is exercising dignified restraint and has refrained from pointing its finger at the drivers in the ongoing lawsuits, no doubt they're laughing up their sleeves at the carmakers' headquarters. After all, the 'exonerating study' was commissioned by the US government. ... Although the study hasn't reached its conclusion it indicates that a number of the accusations were unfounded, and that perhaps even some of the lawsuits were a waste of time. Sooner or later the results will have a positive effect on Toyota's tarnished image, but it will still have to bear the costs of all the lawsuits, fines and recall operations. Perhaps Toyota should consider suing the US for compensation. In the land of unlimited opportunities all doors are open to a carmaker with the slogan 'Nothing is impossible'."

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