You should have known your Prius was trying to kill you

Toyota is recalling 3.8 million vehicles, including five years' worth of the Toyota Prius, because a removable floor mat can sometimes interfere with the accelerator, causing a problem known in automotive circles as a crash. The Houston Press, Westword's sister paper, explored related issues of unintended acceleration in "Wild Rides,"...

By Michael Roberts

September 30, 2009

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Toyota is recalling 3.8 million vehicles, including five years' worth of the Toyota Prius, because a removable floor mat can sometimes interfere with the accelerator, causing a problem known in automotive circles as a crash. The Houston Press, Westword's sister paper, explored related issues of unintended acceleration in "Wild Rides," an April cover story that stirred debate among Prius loyalists who were sure driver error was the real cause of such accidents. But that was before an August 28 wreck in California that killed four people, including a thirteen-year-old girl and a California Highway Patrol officer; the car in that incident was a Lexus, but the floor-mat issue was the same. Looks like it's time to reconsider the driver-error theory.

Read "Wild Rides" by clicking here.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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