国际英语新闻：GM to expand brake override software globally by 2012

CHICAGO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- General Motors (GM) will expand use of "enhanced smart pedal" technology globally to all passenger cars with automatic transmissions and electronic throttle control, providing an additional safeguard to enhance customer confidence, GM said on its website Monday.

Also known as brake override, the change involves modifying existing electronic controls to reduce power to the engine in cases where the brake and accelerator pedal are being depressed at the same time. The global rollout will be completed by the end of 2012.

GM joins a growing list of automakers adding brake-override systems to new vehicles as U.S. Congress and federal regulators mull mandating the safeguard for all automakers.

The decision, comes as automakers move to adopt the safeguard in light of a recall of 8.5 million Toyota vehicles worldwide over sudden acceleration concerns. Toyota Motor Corp. said it would add brake-shift override systems to all vehicles by next year, and on most models by the end of this year.

GM announced on March 1 it would recall 1.3 million compact vehicles to correct a power steering problem.

GM has had for the past several years a braking performance standard that applies to all cars, trucks and crossovers, requiring that the brakes can stop the vehicle within a specific distance. So brake override is an additional safeguard.

The rollout plan balances the speed of implementation with validation needed to assure that customers feel no deterioration in drivability.