MANILA - An engineering professor from the University of the Philippines suggested doing an experiment on vehicles to determine if indeed sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) can happen.
Mechanical engineer Edwin Quiroz said the possibility of SUA is still there as newer vehicles are run and managed by computer systems.
Quiroz, however, clarified that his statements are merely observations and for academic discussions only, and do not specifically refer to units of Mitsubishi Montero but automatic transmission vehicles in general.
Several owners of the Mitsubishi model have raised complaints, saying they experienced SUA.
Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. denied that the Montero Sport is "defective" and "unsafe," noting that "the performance and behavior of the Montero Sport is completely dependent on driver action and reaction, and that the vehicle will only move upon driver intervention." [Montero Sport: www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/12/01/15/mitsubishi-denies-montero-sport-defective-unsafe]
"Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. would like to assure the public that the Montero Sport is neither defective nor unsafe to use," the company said in a statement.
Quiroz, meanwhile, suggests employing hackers or computer experts testing the vehicles by manipulating or tinkering with its electronic computer unit.
Quiroz said the hackers can attempt to tinker with the hardware or software of the vehicle as an experiment to prove or disprove whether SUA can indeed happen.
Mechanical engineering department chairman Dr. Ralph Jose, who is one of the experts eyed by the Department of Trade and Industry to conduct a study on the Montero cases, said Mitsubishi must also give all the information needed to probe complaints of SUA.
Jose said it's difficult to readily declare that there is no such thing as SUA without first investigating what caused the accidents reported by several Montero owners.
He added that third party experts will be helpful in determining whether the incidents were caused by human error, or a defect in the vehicle or part of the vehicle itself.
Motoring expert Alex Loinaz also believes that sudden acceleration is possible and can be caused by floor mat interference, malfunctioning throttle return springs, slipping of foot from the brake pedal, or defective accelerator pedals that don't pivot and bind when depressed.
"There is a need for the government to create an agency tasked to do forensic crash investigation to look into such problems especially serious truck and bus crashes including cars to determining the cause whether it be caused by the driver, vehicle defect, or road design or conditions. That has been lacking here in the Philippines," Loinaz said.
Mitsubishi Philippines said it has conducted tests and investigation with its principal Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan (MMC) to determine the cause of the alleged unintended acceleration of the Montero.
The company said it "has not found any defects or cause directly linked to the vehicles involved."
The firm said it is committed to consumer safety and called on owners of Montero Sport to contact its customer service (+6322508888) if they have concerns about sudden acceleration.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
