Ronald Reagan is famously quoted as saying "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" One wonders if a similar sentiment is shared by automakers and suppliers now that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is talking about increasing its understanding of vehicle electronic systems and the risks of electromagnetic interference. Is NHTSA likely to be a help or a hindrance in the process of returning the market to the culture of ‘better driving through technology’ that has marked the industry over the past twenty years?

Past testing by NHTSA has not shown any link between unintended acceleration and electronic control systems, but there are lingering questions about whether this is a solid conclusion or a failure of testing. Stung by criticism that it, too, was lax in addressing complaints from Toyota owners, NHTSA is gearing up a broader investigation [sub].

In a recent Wall Street Journal article [sub], Toyota spokesman John Hanson said that Toyota is very supportive of NHTSA’s plan to further study electrical interference. He said that Toyota has done “exhaustive testing” but has yet to find any evidence that such a problem could lead to unwanted acceleration. This public comment suggests that the additional resources leveraged by a government agency would be a benefit in getting a more definitive answer to an industry-wide concern. We also appreciate that the government is embracing the concept of getting the facts before leaping into more regulation – hopefully NHTSA can keep Congress from indulging in a kneejerk reaction that adds cost and obstacles rather than facilitating what we all want – safe, affordable vehicles that fully leverage the progress of science and technology.