Car crash because driver couldn't stop car.

tomstickland

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1248177/Toyota-recall-Last-words-father-family-died-Lexus-crash.html

All very sad.
In a manual you'd be onto the clutch and then coast to a halt or not overheat the brakes in the first place.

I'm assuming that in an automatic you'd put it into neutral or try ramming it into 1st. Failing that, turn the ignition off.

ckerrd

Wonder why his brakes didn't work?

tomstickland

Because he'd been using them hard whilst the car was still in drive. That's the assumption.

ckerrd

I managed to stop a car years ago with a stuck accelerator.

Used the foot brake and hand brake and then turned engine off.
And this was in an automatic.
(Not a Toyota)

Crabman

Problem with some new/luxury cars is they have a start/stop button instead of the traditional 'turn key' ignition.

It seems to require something like a 5 second hold on the start/stop button to switch the engine off, not a simple push. Who would know that or have the sense to try that, especially in the situation of a car accelerating out of control.

Given the Lexus in this case had been returned a few days earlier to the hire company with a complaint about a sticking accelerator it should be a simple slam dunk for the lawyers (and rightly so).

Inactive

tomstickland wrote: »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1248177/Toyota-recall-Last-words-father-family-died-Lexus-crash.html

All very sad.
In a manual you'd be onto the clutch and then coast to a halt or not overheat the brakes in the first place.

I'm assuming that in an automatic you'd put it into neutral or try ramming it into 1st. Failing that, turn the ignition off.

Of course.

basieman

I have just read the harrowing story of the family in America killed because of a faulty accelerator pedal.

I wonder why he didn't just put the car in neutral?

I did wonder, as a sidebar, how can a lawyer be acting for Mr. Saylor when he is deceased? I know lawyers are keen but that strikes me as a tad too litigious.

Crabman

basieman wrote: »

I did wonder, as a sidebar, how can a lawyer be acting for Mr. Saylor when he is deceased? I know lawyers are keen but that strikes me as a tad too litigious.

Acting on behalf of his estate? I would hope a lawyer would act in these circumstances to sue for as much as possible. I can see no issue in such litigation if there is provision for it in legislation.

Sadly only when institutions and multi-nationals have to pay out of their pocket do they listen and learn lessons.

petrolhead69

What makes this more tragic is that the simple cheap technology to prevent this has existed on european cars for over a decade. On the vw/audis and vauxhalls I`ve driven over the past few years that have DBW throttles, no matter what position the throttle is in as soon as you press the brake the ecu disregards the throttle input and takes it as 0% throttle. It makes left foot braking on the twisties impossible but would no doubt have prevented all these accidents attributed to the unintended acceleration from faulty or physically jammed pedals.

hethmar

Will be a real body blow to Toyota which has long been viewed as a very reliable brand.

gaz_jones

tomstickland wrote: »

I'm assuming that in an automatic you'd put it into neutral or try ramming it into 1st. Failing that, turn the ignition off.

I think I'd try and ram it into 'P'. Would make a hell of a noise coming to a stop and would be a lot of tyre squeal but I think it would work.

A very sad story and my heart goes out to their family and friends.