US mulls 'black boxes' for cars

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Clarity over the cause of accidents and car insurance claims could be offered by a raft of proposals announced by the US government on Thursday.

Prompted by Toyota's massive round of recalls, the Obama administration wants all new cars and lorries to carry black boxes capable of recording crash information.

The legislation would eliminate the cap on civil penalties a car maker could face and allow the government to order an immediate recall if it finds an "imminent hazard of death or serious injury".

It would also require new safety standards related to brake override systems, the prevention of pedals from getting trapped in floor mats and vehicle electronics.

Politicians vowed to address car safety after Toyota recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide and paid a record £11 million fine for responding too slowly to the problem.

Toyota has said it will install brake override systems in all future models and retroactively on some existing ones.

Copyright © Press Association 2010

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