March 14, 2010 Myth #1: Toyota vehicles, like the Prius, put drivers at a high risk. Carnegie Mellon University Professor Paul Fischbeck, a risk expert, calculated the risk of driving a recalled Toyota and found that you are almost 20 times more likely to die while walking than driving a recalled Toyota. National Public Radio reported that you are 30 times more likely to get hit by lightning than to die in a crash involving a runaway Toyota. The other four myths involve misconceptions regarding how a speeding Prius can be stopped.
March 12, 2010
For the past several weeks, media and government officials have stirred widespread public concern about the safety of the Toyota Prius—publishing first and investigating later (if at all). But the truthfulness of the most publicized incident so far—what might be described as cross between the Balloon Boy Hoax and the OJ Simpson Highway Chase—is coming under increasing scrutiny. Sikes could be credited as the man who convinced the public to question if Prius safety questions are more hype than reality.
March 11, 2010 This week’s story of a San Diego man and his runaway Prius marks the turning point on when Toyota’s unintended acceleration issues crossed over into hysteria. While observers cast doubt on the truthfulness of the high-profile incident, more drivers have reported cases of Prius sudden acceleration. With each new report, there is a growing counter-movement that points to human psychology—rather than technical malfunctions—as an explanation.
March 10, 2010 Sales trends for hybrid cars rise and fall with the Toyota Prius. Toyota usually sells as many units of the quintessential hybrid as all other gas-electric cars combined. But February was far from a usual month. Multiple safety recalls throughout February, including one issued on the 2010 Prius, threw the company into full damage control and put doubts into the hearts of car shoppers. As a result, Prius sales in February fell 6.1 percent compared to the previous month. Discounts on three-year Prius leases probably prevented even further losses.
March 10, 2010 James Sikes, a 61-year-old San Diego-based real estate executive, made national news this week when he claimed that his 2008 Toyota Prius sped out of control on California’s Interstate 8. The story was picked up by major national media and ricocheted around the Internet. Yet, inconsistencies in Sikes's story raise questions about the incident and the accuracy of media reporting on the story.
