People are idiots put the fricking thing in neutral and stop
Yeah. If you can’t control your ride. Don’t drive.
and turn the ignition OFF!
I am starting to wonder about these “runaway” incidents. I think that a lot of this is lawsuit hunting.
I mean, comeon! Anyone with a half a braincell should be able to think — engine out of control, disengage engine.
Or turn the ignition off(without locking the steering wheel)
Remember when the accelerator stuck on your 38 Chevy and you turned the key off and then on again and blew the dual Smithy Steelpaks off...
I believe that the computer sensor has to recognize that brake is on to allow you to put it into park or neutral. When these cars get possessed the computer doesn’t recognize that the brake pedal is pressed so it doesn’t slow the car or allow it to go into neutral or park.
Toyotas are usually bought as appliances by people who don’t care about driving. So when their driving appliance malfunctions, they are the least likely to know what to do about it.
Nothing is mechanical on these new cars, including the transmission/gear shift. Basically they are computers with wheels. If the software is bad, there’s nothing you can do. In once case a Highway Patrolman and his whole family were killed when the car accelerated to 130 MPH and nothing he did would stop it. I heard his 911 call played on a talk show, and clearly the guy was calm, collected, and knew he and his whole family were about to die. His last word was “Pray”.
Don’t believe the BS about floor mats and stuck pedals. It’s the microchips.
BTW if you turn the ignition off, the steering wheel locks.
“People are idiots put the fricking thing in neutral and stop”
I’m pretty skeptical about this whole thing, but...
I’m also somewhat leery of cars where almost no control has any actual direct control over anything mechanically. In a Prius the steering wheel is mechanically connected to the front wheels - but all the other controls? Braking is electronically controlled to enable the regnerative braking. Accelerator is not directly connected to anything. Shift lever - no mechanical connection to anything other than the Park pawl. So if the electronic systems go awry, who knows what may happen? Same ECU that controls the throttle also controls the brakes and the transmission. I’m still skeptical, but stranger things have happened.
There is a lockout that prevents you from putting it into neutral without decreasing speed a certain percentage within so many seconds.
“People are idiots put the fricking thing in neutral and stop”
That will blow an engine. Easier just to switch off the ignition key, bring the car to a stop. Save the car, save the engine, save the passengers or other drivers on the road, prevent an accident.
The shifter is electronic. There is no conventional transmission. It is a push-button starter.
It's not as easy as you think.
Besides, since everything is computer-controlled, a fault that creates acceleration may disrupt other functions as well.