Just because the guy was a cop doesn't mean he knew how to drive. This was an unfamiliar car and we have no idea if he just didn't know how to operate the vehicle other than a third persons panicked phone call to 911. Your whole argument is based on this indecent. Have you noticed no other episodes have occurred since then? Many of the "problems" at the time were immediately sourced as scams to sue Toyota.
I would generally agree with you if "fly by wire" cars were causing a steady stream of problems. There just haven't been any. I dislike these cars for maintenance reasons, but as for safety, the jury is still out.
Also take note that this MSM panic happened at the exact time GM was on the skids and the Gov't took them over. They really needed their competition to take a hit as they rolled into #1 car manufacturer. There are no coincidences.
TWO things CAN be true
1) Government and Media overblows the problem, and misses the real cause
2) There IS a problem, and it’s endemic to design in any fly-by-wire system without fail-safes and redundant computers
Just because you have hit on #1, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
I have experience programming everything from microprocessors to Cray supercomputers —— Fly by wire is a BAD IDEA. PEOPLE WILL DIE.
People HAVE died.
Just because the extent and real nature of the problem is not well know does not mean it’s not true.
“Also take note that this MSM panic happened at the exact time GM was on the skids and the Gov’t took them over. They really needed their competition to take a hit as they rolled into #1 car manufacturer. There are no coincidences.”
And, we have a winner!!