Have u Guys seen this?

[Mark86]

Wow, that is a tragedy! I just don't understand why somebody would call 911 for that instead of trying to resolve the problem. 911 would be the last thing from my mind in that kind of situation.

 

[jwyshrek]

Yeah I thought all vehicles were still using hydraulic braking systems with mechanical levers. And the emergency brake is always (I think) strictly mechanical in the event of systems failure. Throttle response and transmission control seem to be all by wire in new vehicles. Power steering by wire is a scary thing, but again most vehicles seem to be a mechanical hydraulic setup.

Well, actually, steering is moving toward electrical as well...at least electrical assist for now...but how does the LS400 park itself?

As for the emergency brake, it is not called an emergency brake anymore...its called a parking brake. In a emergency it doesn't have enough braking power to do really anything...or in some cases, it can be worse to use it as it could spin you out of control.

It is not hard to overcome a vehicle's regular brakes...especially, if they had gotten hot from attempting to stop.

Turning it off with key...well...think of the 4th gen 4runner...does a driver really turn it on and off with the key? No, you are sending a request to the computer to do so.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Some good points about the newer technologies, electric steering etc.

You'd be hard pressed to find a post 1990 car that didn't have a rev limiter. Regardless of the technlogy level all cars still have 'N'. Even if it's as simple as a stuck floormat you need not worry about blowing the motor. I'd never hesitate to put it in 'N' if it was running away from me...

 

[Shawk00]

Don't shut off the engine until you are stopped or you will lose your power steering.

I'd MUCH rather have no power steering than a car on with a stuck accelerator. This happened to my wife probably 15 years ago. She shut the key off (just enough to only power off the engine-not all the way back), pulled over and called me to come get her. As freaked out as she was... she did great. Sure enough when I got to her, the floor mat was jammed against her accelerator. Lesson well learned...

 

[Uneek]

Yeah I thought all vehicles were still using hydraulic braking systems with mechanical levers. And the emergency brake is always (I think) strictly mechanical in the event of systems failure. Throttle response and transmission control seem to be all by wire in new vehicles. Power steering by wire is a scary thing, but again most vehicles seem to be a mechanical hydraulic setup.

Some Mercedes Benz models use to have brake by wire. But they still have a hydraulic backup in the event of an electrical gremlin.

Toyota also uses it on the Estima.

Wikipedia.

MB cancels brake by wire.

I think Prius and Lexus LS has the electric steering setup.

 

[96743runner]

That's really messed up. A very preventable loss of lives

 

[JohnsD90]

"The average auto driver doesn't have the training needed to handle a crisis like this" Or words to that effect.

If they would stop giving drivers' licenses to anyone that has a pulse & can parallel park, maybe that would change. How frakkin' hard is it to shift to neutral, or step on the clutch if it's a stick?

All due condolences to the family, but this was preventable. By the driver.

yeah i didnt have to parralel park for my drivers test and neutral emergency lane and if he had that big of an issue he should of physical rode the gaurdrail to help slow him down, but not engough to roll him, he was a cop too, so they have training on how to do all this sh1t in a car and he couldnt figure this one out, i feel really bad and am sorry for the losses but i feel the situation could have been handled better than what had happened.

 

[Annoyed]

he was a cop too, so they have training on how to do all this **** in a car

That is one thing that raises question in my mind. most police officers are trained drivers. There may be more going on here than we are hearing about in public.