ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 AT ABOUT 8:10 A.M., I WAS DRIVING ON HOLCOMBE IN HOUSTON. THERE WAS TRAFFIC. AT ONE POINT, I NEEDED TO STOP FROM A FAIRLY LOW SPEED (PERHAPS 10 MPH), AS THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD STOPPED FOR A LIGHT. I BRAKE USING THE FLOOR PEDAL. BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AT ALL; IT WAS AS THOUGH I HAD NOT EVEN TOUCHED THE BRAKE. THE CAR DIDN'T HESITATE OR DIE; IT JUST CONTINUED MOVING UNTIL IT HIT THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED AND NEITHER THE DRIVER OF THE CAR I HIT NOR I HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN INJURED. BUT HAD THIS HAPPENED AT A HIGHER SPEED THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE DIFFERENT. MY PRIUS HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SEVERAL SAFETY RECALLS, ALL OF WHICH I'VE HAD PERFORMED. AND ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE CAR HAD PASSED ITS ANNUAL STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. FROM THIS AND BECAUSE IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AT ALL WHEN I BRAKED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS A FUNCTION OF A BRAKE DEFECT IN THE PRIUS, PERHAPS A SHORT SOMEWHERE IN THE SYSTEM. *TR