Another runaway Prius???

[theevilsharpie]

Hopefully this is yet a another nail in the coffin of driving by microchip. The government should force stubborn automakers to return to the safe method of using cables.

While we're at it, why don't we throw out fuel-injection, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and ABS systems.



Electronic components are used throughout the car, and are usually more reliable and trouble-free than their mechanical counterparts. As for drive-by-wire, other auto manufacturers use it, but you don't see Fords, BMW's, or Hondas barreling out of control, do you?

This is a Toyota failure, not an electronics failure.

 

[FelixDeCat]

While we're at it, why don't we throw out fuel-injection, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and ABS systems.



Electronic components are used throughout the car, and are usually more reliable and trouble-free than their mechanical counterparts. As for drive-by-wire, other auto manufacturers use it, but you don't see Fords, BMW's, or Hondas barreling out of control, do you?

This is a Toyota failure, not an electronics failure.

Why do you want to throw the other systems out? It was only recently that some automakers took the stupid pill and decided to put driving in the hands of processors that could second guess your critical decisions, thus making your car a potential runaway deathtrap. You are trying to misportray my important and valuable point that automakers have gone too far trying to automate driving.

In the end the driver must be in FULL control of all critical decisions 100% of the time. Period. Paragraph. Exclamation point.

 

[spidey07]

Why do you want to throw the other systems out? It was only recently that some automakers took the stupid pill and decided to put driving in the hands of processors that could second guess your critical decisions, thus making your car a potential runaway deathtrap. You are trying to misportray my important and valuable point that automakers have gone to far trying to computerize driving.

In the end the driver must be in FULL control of all critical decisions 100% of the time. Period. Paragraph. Exclamation point.

Stability and traction control rely on electronic throttle. Those are some damn fine safety features.

 

[Anonemous]

So the guy didn't want to shift it into neutral because he didn't want to flip the car (guy admits it on the MSNBC video http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35786969#35786969 ). Didn't brake until told by a police cruiser or somehow the brakes suddenly magically worked when the police cruiser got there. Drove 30 miles in an out of control vehicle on the freeway around traffic without hitting anything. Something doesn't add up.

 

[PottedMeat]

Why do you want to throw the other systems out? It was only recently that some automakers took the stupid pill and decided to put driving in the hands of processors that could second guess your critical decisions, thus making your car a potential runaway deathtrap. You are trying to misportray my important and valuable point that automakers have gone too far trying to automate driving.

In the end the driver must be in FULL control of all critical decisions 100% of the time. Period. Paragraph. Exclamation point.

lulz

 

[spidey07]

So the guy didn't want to shift it into neutral because he didn't want to flip the car (guy admits it on the MSNBC video http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35786969#35786969 ). Didn't brake until told by a police cruiser or somehow the brakes suddenly magically worked when the police cruiser got there. Drove 30 miles in an out of control vehicle on the freeway around traffic without hitting anything. Something doesn't add up.

Even the cop said he smelled the brakes and brake lights were on. There's no mistaking that smell.

So 3 options
1) electronic failure
2) Stupid driver
3) Driver has a pretty damn good lawsuit documented

I'll go with either 2 or 3 as they are mutually exclusive.

 

[angry hampster]

While we're at it, why don't we throw out fuel-injection, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and ABS systems.



.

First of all, ABS systems, and and Anti-lock Braking System?


I'd be very happy to have a car without ABS. It's a pain in the ass and it increases stopping distances.

 

[Eli]

First of all, ABS systems, and and Anti-lock Braking System?


I'd be very happy to have a car without ABS. It's a pain in the ass and it increases stopping distances.

It increases stopping distance on things like sand and gravel. It has no affect on stopping distance on dry roads, and dramatically decreases stopping distance on slippery surfaces.

There is nothing wrong with ABS. It is a safety feature and realistically should never cause an accident.

 

[FelixDeCat]

It increases stopping distance on things like sand and gravel. It has no affect on stopping distance on dry roads, and dramatically decreases stopping distance on slippery surfaces.

There is nothing wrong with ABS. It is a safety feature and realistically should never cause an accident.

I too have found ABS to be handy in avoiding wheellock and thus a spinout in heaving breaking to avoid an accident. My Mercedes also had ASC (skid control) and BAS (brake assist). The ASC was helpful when it was icy outside. It would make the car take off in 2nd gear vs 1st gear so I could drive in heavy rain and on the ice. It would also engage the ABS system on idividual wheels to prevent a spinout when I was trying to peel some rubber. Thankfully however, it had one big button on the dash that would allow you to mostly disable all the safety features (while a huge annoying glowing triangle with an exclamation point flashed on your dash) if you wanted to burn rubber and let the car spin out on purpose.

Unfortunately however, Mercedes is starting to remove the "disable switch" in certain models like the E class. That is pretty stupid in an AMG tuned Mercedes where the whole point is to lay a lot of burned rubber. ASC will stop peelouts cold.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Heres the thing, there are very few real coincidences in life, look at the red flags about this incident

1.) It was about 12 miles from where Sikes' Prius started speeding where a deadly crash last year sparked scrutiny into the Japanese company's vehicles.

2.) He says he took his car in for the recall, but the recall hasnt started yet.

3.) Lottery winner

4.) Real estate developer

5.) On TV show for lottery winners

6.) Held press conference minutes after car towed to Toyota dealership

7.) The way Toyota has been dealing with the issues is to sandbag the black box data, theyre in an indefensible position for this kind of shit...

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/bs...t-prius-recall-hasnt-started-yet/#more-348343

 

[theevilsharpie]

First of all, ABS systems, and and Anti-lock Braking System?

Whoops. That should've been ABS systems and airbag systems

 

[mafia]

So the guy didn't want to shift it into neutral because he didn't want to flip the car (guy admits it on the MSNBC video http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35786969#35786969 ).

He thought the car would FLIP?! Seriously!? How fucking retarded do you have to be. I smell a publicity stunt.

 

[Rubycon]

First of all, ABS systems, and and Anti-lock Braking System?


I'd be very happy to have a car without ABS. It's a pain in the ass and it increases stopping distances.

I had to type in my PIN number to post this. PIA I tell you!

Btw there is no P in HAMSTER.

 

[RiDE]

Time to go back to stick shifts.

 

[LTC8K6]

It's funny how the media reported that the cop used his own car to stop the Prius, then later we find out all the cop did was talk to the guy...and the Prius actually stopped on it's own with the stop button and the brakes...

 

[pray4mojo]

The Prius can do more than 100mph. This guys "hit speeds of up to 94 mph for about 20 minutes". Up to? So it fluctuated? So it wasn't stuck at WOT?

Whats that smell? Oh bullshit.

 

[So]

Hopefully this is yet a another nail in the coffin of driving by microchip. The government should force stubborn automakers to return to the safe method of using cables. As it is, Toyota is facing a potential $3 Billion dollar payout to people whose cars are becomming worthless because of this "technology".

Bring back the candle, the horse drawn buggy and the steam locomotive too, damn it! And I want all my radios to be vacuum tube!

The solution is to design a redundant fail safe system, not blindly go back to more primitive technology. A throttle cable can stick and a brake line can burst too you know.

 

[Rubycon]

And I want all my radios to be vacuum tube!

I knew things were going to the pot when radios and tv sets had the words SOLID STATE tacked all over them! It was the end of the legend. We call them valves.

There was nothing like breaking the silence of a cold winter's morning with a CLICK of the switch on the volume knob, a 50cps grunt (european power) as the transformer sprang to life, and the gentle ramp up in volume as the tubes warmed up. Wireless broadcast commenced shortly thereafter.

The first instant on tvs actually had tubes - their filaments were on all the time so no waiting for them to warm up. Old sets had the shrinking picture to a dot in the center of the CRT that stayed there for many minutes. I never could turn off a TV next to the bed without draping a pair of slacks over it. I always got the feeling that a cyclops was spying on me while sleeping.

 

[zinfamous]

It's the most logical conclusion. Now he has a documented case of it, AND the dealer told him it wasn't part of the recall.

Money in the bank right there.

He admitted tonight on local news that "I was too afraid to try putting it into neutral, for fear of it shifting into reverse."

so he never attempted the obvious fix.

I posted in Daily tech...but I'm starting to think that this will end up a few years from now with data showing that 30% of these recalled cars were indisputable driver error. I know this is just one case...but I've had a growing suspicion of Prius drivers over the previous 3 years :hmm:...maybe it's the higher concentration that I recently moved into.....

sucks for drivers and Toyota. :\

 

[Anonemous]

It's funny how the media reported that the cop used his own car to stop the Prius, then later we find out all the cop did was talk to the guy...and the Prius actually stopped on it's own with the stop button and the brakes...

I'm just a little skeptical that the car just started to stop when the police was present. It's like the the brakes didn't work before but when the police show up they work magically.

 

[Anonemous]

He admitted tonight on local news that "I was too afraid to try putting it into neutral, for fear of it shifting into reverse."

so he never attempted the obvious fix.

I posted in Daily tech...but I'm starting to think that this will end up a few years from now with data showing that 30% of these recalled cars were indisputable driver error. I know this is just one case...but I've had a growing suspicion of Prius drivers over the previous 3 years :hmm:...maybe it's the higher concentration that I recently moved into.....

sucks for drivers and Toyota. :\

So he changed his story?

 

[LTC8K6]

I'm just a little skeptical that the car just started to stop when the police was present. It's like the the brakes didn't work before but when the police show up they work magically.

I don't see any magic.

He just didn't use the brakes properly or shift into neutral until the cop yelled at him, imo.

 

[zinfamous]

So he changed his story again?

I'm paraphrasing, but he basically said that he avoided trying to put it into neutral during acceleration b/c he was afraid that he would accidentally put it into reverse.

I skipped some posts here and most of the story today, but just reporting what I saw ~20 minutes ago.

Honeslty, I'm more astounded by what went down at a Meg Whitman "press event" today. ..holy hell, this state is filled with some FUCKED people!



I will now scour local NBC affiliate for the clip.

 

[LTC8K6]

Why would you care if it went into Reverse? You are about to crash and burn...

Somebody tell the guy that it's been a long time since an auto trans would allow a shift into reverse while the car is moving forward...

 

[zinfamous]

dang, I hope you guys get the same ad (not sure if this is the late night report that I was looking for), but the "drifting" add at the begininng of this video clip is AWESOME lead-in for this story.

it's from a local dealer, so I'd expect you to see it?

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Runaway-Prius-Needs-Help-to-StopCHP-86965487.html

EDIT: yeah, so not at all the story that they aired at 11pm. he was interviewed from a different angle, different shirt, heh.