The Transportation Department has announced it is fining Toyota $16.4 million for failing to notify US regulators about potential problems with unintended acceleration. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations. Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from US officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families.” In the last six months, Toyota has recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide, about six million of them in the United States. The $16.4 million fine is just a fraction of the $200 billion Toyota reported in revenue last year.