Human Factors Awarded Toyota Funding

The Public Policy Center's Human Factors and Vehicle Safety Program is set to benefit from the recent $1 billion Toyota settlement with hopes to understand and perhaps prevent car crashes for drivers in the future. In December 2012, Toyota reached an agreement with the families of two people killed in a sudden-acceleration crash in 2010. The settlement resolves "hundreds of lawsuits claiming economic losses Toyota owners suffered when the Japanese automaker recalled millions of vehicles because of sudden acceleration problems," according to the Washington Post.

Human Factors researchers benefit from the settlement because Toyota will be putting $30 million into automotive research and education. They will be getting "$800,000 right off the bat, $14.2 million into a safety campaign, and up to $15 million more into research and money for other schools," states Jalopnik.

Human Factors researchers will conduct a study “focusing on identifying critical gaps in awareness and practice regarding defensive driving skills.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324669104578203440990704994.html

http://blog.caranddriver.com/toyota-settling-lost-resale-value-lawsuits-why-its-insane-why-everybody-loses-but-the-lawyers/