|
|
Posted by David Sherman [216.18.131.172] on Tuesday, March 09, 2010 at 12:11:29 :
In Reply to: Re: OT Toyota question posted by Keith in Washington [24.41.41.111] on Tuesday, March 09, 2010 at 11:11:51 :
You are right that all the computerized engines are electronically governed so they won't over-speed even with the throttle wide open and the tranny in neutral. I don't know if they "shift by wire" or not, but it would still be worth a try since it's unlikely that two computerized systems would both fail in the "dangerous" way simultaneously. Same with cutting the ignition. These "sudden acceleration" reports are very thin on what countermeasures the drivers tried to take. Most likely all they did was panic. Brakes are generally designed to dissipate roughly 10 times the power of the engine, for short distances, so it should easily be possible to bring any vehicle to a stop using the brakes.
I was just reading about a new Lexus that takes "drive by wire" all the way, including "steer by wire". I'll let someone else be an "early adopter" of that technology too. I hope they're not coming towards me on a 2-lane road.
Follow Ups: