WASHINGTON DC, United States

THE president of Toyota’s US operations is apologising for the company’s slow handling of sudden acceleration problems in its vehicles, saying it took too long to confront the issue.

Toyota’s James Lentz, certain to face hostile questioning yesterday at a congressional hearing, says in prepared testimony that Toyota had poor communications within the company, with government regulators and with its customers.

Also being heard from yesterday are drivers like Rhonda Smith, a Tennessee woman whose Toyota-made Lexus suddenly zoomed to 100 miles per hour (160 kph) as she tried to get it to stop — shifting to neutral, trying to throw the car into reverse and hitting the emergency brake. Finally, her car slowed down before

she crashed.

Smith’s description of her nightmare ride in October 2006 will precede testimony by safety experts — and set the tone for the hearing. Toyota executives and the secretary of transportation will also be at the witness table. Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s investigative panel will be armed with preliminary staff findings that Toyota and the government failed to protect the public.

Toyota, which has recalled 8.5 million vehicles to fix acceleration problems in several models and braking issues in the 2010 hybrid Prius, is bringing apologies to the hearing.

“In recent months, we have not lived up to the high standards our customers and the public have come to expect from Toyota,” said Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc in prepared telems were the cause.

And he wrote the transportation secretary that his agency lacked the expertise and the will to conduct a thorough investigation.

Tuesday’s hearing, along with a second House hearing Weour electronic throttle control system with multiple fail-safe mechanisms to shut off or reduce engine power in the event of a system failure.”

Stupak wrote Lentz on Monday that committee investigators believe he’s relying on a flawed study to reach that conclusion.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in written, prepared testimony, said his agency will ensure the safety of Toyota vehicles. He added the department’s investigation includes the possibility that interference with electronics had a role in sudden acceleration.

“Although we are not aware of any incident proven to be caused by such interference, NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is doing a thorough review of that subject to ensure safety,” the secretary said. “If NHTSA finds a problem, we will make sure it is resolved.”

Committee investigators have made preliminary findings that the government was slow to respond to 2,600 complaints of sudden unintended acceleration.

Today, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hear from company president Akio Toyoda, who is expected to speak to the committee and the American public through a translator.

In an opinion piece published by The Wall Street Journal, Toyoda acknowledged that the automaker had stumbled badly.

“It is clear to me that in recent years we didn’t listen as carefully as we should — or respond as quickly as we must — the reptile away.”

Marcelinus Subanghadir was outside his hut on Komodo Island late Monday when a nearly 7-foot-long (more

than two-metre-long) dragon grabbed hold of his right foot, Komodo National Park chief Tamen Sitorus said.