When Congress returns from its August recess, the Insurance Journal reports, the House of Representatives will be attempting to overhaul auto safety laws.

House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Representative Harry Waxman told the press that he is hopeful that in the aftermath of Toyota’s recall of more than 8.5 million vehicles, the House will consider upgrading auto safety laws across the country. The legislation to be considered would include increased penalties against carmakers, as well as requiring them to meet new safety standards. As well, the U.S. government would be empowered to demand recalls for safety issues.

Not surprisingly, the portions of the proposed bill that would increase fines and assign fees to new vehicles have come under heavy opposition by automakers and industry-related business groups, while safety organizations are urging that the legislation be passed, and that it is necessary to solve problems exposed by the Toyota incidents.

House Republicans, on the other hand, have asked to be supplied with more information on the ongoing Toyota investigation.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal, referring to anonymous sources, reported that after analyzing dozens of Toyota data recorders from vehicles involved in crashes blamed on unintended acceleration, government investigators found that brakes had not been engaged, and throttles had been open. This suggests that driver error is to blame; specifically it points to drivers stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brakes.

There is a group of House Republicans who want to know whether or not the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has event recorder data showing which cases were caused by mechanical error, and which were the result of drivers making mistakes.

Toyota maintains that while misplaced floormats or stacked mats and sticky pedals were involved in some cases of unintended acceleration, the culprit in most cases where the brake pedal was depressed was actually driver error.