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The 911 caller also said that the brakes did not work. In the ABC news video there was also a Camary and a Prius where the drivers survived. They both said that thy had applied the brakes and nothing happened. As for the "key", a Prius does not have a key. It only has an "on button". If the Camary and Lexus were also Hybrids, then they would not have keys either. Hmmm.
It would be easy for someone to think the brakes are not "working", if you step on them at full throttle. People are use to how brakes 'feel' normally, and it's not going to be that same if the throttle is stuck to the floor.
Just to clear up some mis-information: Totota does not build a vehicle with an "on button". Vehicles without a traditional keyswitch have an "ENGINE START/STOP" button. Those words are illuminated right on the button itself. The same button people use to Start and Stop their engine every day.
__________________ Capt Will, 2002 G/W 282 Sailfish, F225's
USCG Master, 50 Ton; Towing endorsement
Indian River, De
Y'know, the new generation of vehicles are not only drive-by-wire, but shift-by-wire. The brain may not let the transmission shift out of gear, since it's digitally controlled. I guess we need a kill switch like race cars.
Wow. How many people would have to be crushed on the highway after accidentally hitting the panic button before that would be a bad idea?
Seems to me the real problem here was the start/stop button. Apparently you have to hold it down for 3 seconds to stop the car if it was in motion. This sounds like a great idea except for the flaw that a physical key has no such restriction, and there's no reason to assume an owner would figure out the 3 second thing. (or remember it, if he happened to read the manual).
Funny - the only point of an on/off button is to look cool. Maybe it was a usability mistake and everyone should have just built in nonremovable key-like controls. Same convenience of not having to take your keys out if your pocket, better usability.
Does anybody know which models are having the problems?
__________________ The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Funny - the only point of an on/off button is to look cool. Maybe it was a usability mistake and everyone should have just built in nonremovable key-like controls. Same convenience of not having to take your keys out if your pocket, better usability.
Actually, the start/stop button is a much easier design. Having a 4 position ignition switch on the column isn't cheap. At one point they were high current designs and a number of wipers that went closed/open as you rotated the switch. Later on they are low current (actual start relay driven by an ECU) but then with low current 4 position switches, they bring new challenges.
A button read by and ECU, with a long vs. short push for accessory is easy and cheap.
Having to hold it for 3 seconds to 'debounce' the switch (so it doesn't kill the car when you don't want it to) is the design compromise (and maybe liability)...
not too sure I believe all the stories of brakes burning out, never yet seen a car with an engine that can over power a set of brakes, just try it sometime.
not too sure I believe all the stories of brakes burning out, never yet seen a car with an engine that can over power a set of brakes, just try it sometime.
If you've ever taken a 'regular' car on a race track, you can easily see how quick the brakes go away from the heat. I used to support Indy car software and a few times we would do some hot laps late in the day after the real cars were off (road course tracks, not ovals).
If you took any car at 70mph, held the throttle at 100%, and pressed the brakes to slow down to say 30, then let up while it went back to 70, do this a few times, and the breaks start to go away. We would see this on our rental grand prix's or taurus' every time.
Which gets me thinking about the time I followed Little Al around the track with our Avis rentals... good fun.
The "LEO" was an experienced Calif. Highway Patrol officer driving an unfamiliar car--apparently with some kind of keyless ignition and a gear shift that "would be difficult to put in neutral" --according to a quote in the San Diego paper. The other way to stop it--again as reported-- was to hold down the start button for three seconds--that's 528 feet st 120 mph.
All the local reporting (and the NHTSA) has been about the floor mat jamming the accelerator. Almost nothing about how a car can be designed with no easy way of putting the car in neutral (or park or reverse) or shutting off the ignition no matter whar caused the runaway. I guess itis easy to require floor mat removal/replacement than junking the ignition/gear shift systems.
I gotta start/stop button in my Bimmer. Tried it yesterday, and it kills the engine immediately, at least at 10mph. The transmission lever is a different story..finally broke the detent that prevents shifting unless your foot is on the brake, so it shifts normally now.
