4 ms·

I suspect cars are more fly-by-wire than you realize. And wasn't this issue with the throttle control? I suppose you could have downshifted with either type of

I suspect cars are more fly-by-wire than you realize. And wasn't this issue with the throttle control? I suppose you could have downshifted with either type of transmission, but most drivers aren't prepared for sudden mechanical failure like this.

mschuster91 11y ago
Just kick on the clutch pedal and the power transmission is broken.
- jhallenworld 11y ago
  As long as the clutch linkage doesn't break :-) This happened to my dad while waiting at for a light at an intersection. Transmission in first, foot down on clutch: suddenly car leaps into intersection. This was long ago on a Volkswagen bus. The drive by wire which is terrifying is the power steering. Traditionally it's hydraulic, but more cars are using electric. I sure hope that an electrical component failure can not lead to full turning force. http://www.caranddriver.com/features/electric-vs-hydraulic-steering-a-comprehensive-comparison-test-feature http://www.caranddriver.com/features/electric-vs-hydraulic-s...
- mangix 11y ago
  shutting off the car, setting it to neutral, etc... do the same thing. bad drivers will be bad.
  - mschuster91 11y ago
    > shutting off the car, setting it to neutral Both of these are no fail-safe measures these days, as both ignition and auto transmissions are done entirely in software.
semi-extrinsic 11y ago
I'm not aware of any passenger car with an electronically controlled clutch. The driver in question finally resorted to pulling the handbrake, which locked up the wheels, so she lost control of the car. Flooring the clutch pedal OTOH, if she'd had one, would have saved her life.