New cars and lorries would be required to carry black boxes to record crash information and manufacturers would help fund the US government's motor industry safety agency, under a series of proposals following Toyota's massive recalls.

The House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee released a draft that could form the basis of legislation to strengthen vehicle safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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

The draft legislation, released by Energy and Commerce chairman Henry Waxman, a Democrat, would eliminate the cap on civil penalties a car maker could face and allow NHTSA 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.

Toyota has said it will install brake override systems in all future models and retroactively on some existing ones. The system automatically disengages the throttle if a driver presses on the brakes.

Some Toyota owners have filed lawsuits saying that Toyota's electronic throttle control systems are to blame for vehicles suddenly accelerating. The company has insisted electronics are not causing the problem.

The proposal would require a US motor industry executive to certify the accuracy of information submitted to NHTSA in response to a government investigation. Any executive who provided false information could face up to £163 million in fines.

Vehicles would be required to be equipped with event data recorders, commonly known as black boxes, to help authorities reconstruct the elements that led to a crash.

The plan also creates a "vehicle user fee" of £2 per vehicle, increasing to £6 in its third year, to fund NHTSA's vehicle safety programme. Safety groups have said the agency is underfunded and ill-equipped to investigate complicated safety problems.

PA