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In at least some incidents, it was impossible to change into neutral(owing to some electronic failsafe) and not at all obvious how to switch the ignition off. N

by pmccool 16y ago

In at least some incidents, it was impossible to change into neutral(owing to some electronic failsafe) and not at all obvious how to switch the ignition off. Non-obvious is bad bad bad when your throttle is suddenly stuck wide open.

kgermino 16y ago
Just curious, how can it be non-obvious how to stop the engine? Why couldn't the drivers simply turn back the key? Is there some safety feature I'm not aware of? In my car there's nothing preventing you from completely removing the key while the car is in drive (this actually screwed me once when I parked on a hill and forgot to shift to park). Is this unusual?
- 124816 16y ago
  Many of these cars have a power button -- if the "key" is inside the car, the button is activated. When the car is on, and in park, it will turn off with a simple press of the button, but when in motion that does not work. (I've been told that holding the power button for several seconds, just like one would a crashed computer, will force a shutdown; can't verify that though.)
- ams6110 16y ago
  Some newer cars don't have a key, they have a pushbutton on/off "switch" (not really a switch at all, just a signal to the computer that the driver wants to start the car). To "force shut off" a running car in gear, you have to hold the button down for several seconds (think rebooting a PC by holding the power button down for several seconds).
tghw 16y ago
The brake pedal is a pretty obvious user interface. Most people use it whenever they drive. In general, brakes will easily overpower the engine when fully applied. Car & Driver did some tests to be sure [1], and were able to stop a floored Camery going 70 MPH in 190 feet, only 16 feet further than with the throttle closed. Even if shifting or turning off the engine aren't an option (doubtful) the brakes are an obvious and simple way to bring the car back under control. There's really no avoiding the fact that driver error, or at least inaction, played a large part in these accidents. [1](http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/how_to_deal_with_unintended_acceleration-tech_dept http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/how_to_deal_with_u...)

by pmccool 16y ago

kgermino 16y ago

Just curious, how can it be non-obvious how to stop the engine? Why couldn't the drivers simply turn back the key? Is there some safety feature I'm not aware of? In my car there's nothing preventing you from completely removing the key while the car is in drive (this actually screwed me once when I parked on a hill and forgot to shift to park). Is this unusual?

124816 16y ago
Many of these cars have a power button -- if the "key" is inside the car, the button is activated. When the car is on, and in park, it will turn off with a simple press of the button, but when in motion that does not work. (I've been told that holding the power button for several seconds, just like one would a crashed computer, will force a shutdown; can't verify that though.)
ams6110 16y ago
Some newer cars don't have a key, they have a pushbutton on/off "switch" (not really a switch at all, just a signal to the computer that the driver wants to start the car). To "force shut off" a running car in gear, you have to hold the button down for several seconds (think rebooting a PC by holding the power button down for several seconds).

tghw 16y ago

The brake pedal is a pretty obvious user interface. Most people use it whenever they drive. In general, brakes will easily overpower the engine when fully applied. Car & Driver did some tests to be sure [1], and were able to stop a floored Camery going 70 MPH in 190 feet, only 16 feet further than with the throttle closed. Even if shifting or turning off the engine aren't an option (doubtful) the brakes are an obvious and simple way to bring the car back under control. There's really no avoiding the fact that driver error, or at least inaction, played a large part in these accidents. [1](http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/how_to_deal_with_unintended_acceleration-tech_dept http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/how_to_deal_with_u...)