Posted on 03/08/2010 10:56:10 PM PST by JoeProBono
EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) -- A California Highway Patrol officer helped slow a runaway Toyota Prius from 94 mph to a safe stop on Monday after the car's accelerator became stuck on a San Diego County freeway, the CHP said.
Prius driver James Sikes called 911 about 1:30 p.m. after accelerating to pass another vehicle on Interstate 8 near La Posta and finding that he could not control his car, the CHP said.
"I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny...
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Don’t turn the car off. From the DMV:
STUCK ACCELERATOR
If your accelerator becomes stuck, you should:
1. Shift to neutral.
2. Apply the brakes.
3. Keep your eyes on the road.
4. Look for a way out.
5. Warn other drivers by honking and flashing your emergency lights.
6. Try to drive the car safely off the road.
7. When you no longer need to change direction and have stopped, turn off the ignition. (Turning off the key locks the steering wheel of many vehicles.)
Why didn't he do this in the first place?
Don’t worry about the engine. Today’s computer controlled cars have rev limiters to prevent over reving and damaging the engine. If the engine has no previous mechanical faults it will survive.
For about 30 hair-raising miles beginning near Lake Jennings Park Road near Flinn Springs, Sikes tried frantically to slow down the 2008 hybrid. At one point the speedometer hit 94 mph, said Sikes, who called 911. A CHP officer was dispatched and while driving alongside, coached Sikes over a loudspeaker on how to get control of the car, a process that involved the brakes, the emergency brake and, when the speed came down some, turning off the ignition
It’ s awfully, awfully fishy that most of the news of the past few weeks is about “how bad Toyota” cars are. Day and night on CNN, for instance. Anyone not born yesterday has got to realize this an organized and planned attempt to bring down Toyota. The whole thing is just too pat.
Well duh; i.e. ways to get the car under control!!!! Some people have no business being behind the wheel.
“I’m calling horseshit.”
Me too. I mean a Prius hitting 94 when he still had access to his brakes! Honestly though i’d imagine that at this point the overwhelming majority of claims in the trial lawyer’s paradise are from people hoping for a quick payday.
“Some people have no business being behind the wheel.”
We call these people women.
If a Prius has a stuck accelerator, who would notice?
I’ll take a blown engine any day over dead and dismemberment.
I’ve tested my cars, manual and automatic. I pretended I had a stuck accelerator.
Neutral was fine other than high engine rev, since controlled experiment I kept it below red line till stop.
Turning key to acc. Kept power steering and brakes. Drifted safely to a stop without high engine rev, and steering did not lock up.
No problem.
Note also that I learned to do these things before I was legally able to drive in case of a runaway car, just recently tested again because of all these stuck accelerator crashes.
My opinion, stuck accelerator cause by a manufacturers defect. Accidents and wrecks with stuck accelerator caused by operator error.
What do you expect when the mainstream media is the advertizing arm of the Obama administration, which coincidentally owns a good portion of GM? This is all about eliminating 'Government Motors' non-union competitors, one at a time.
Bah that's the amount an officer in Blythe, CA wrote me a ticket for because he didn't believe my car could do 120+ :)
A couple of posts seem to have forgotten if you turn the key off the steering wheel locks.
I haven't had a car in a long time that doesn't have a key position between "run" and "lock". On my Escape, it's an off position, and on my Honda, it's an 'accessory' position. Both turn the engine off.
I’ve not seen that kind.
..........................
I useta work in a rent-a-car place.
goofy keys I have seen.
blob kind, goes into a slot on the dash
blob kind #2, you keep in your pocket
.........................
the issue being ...
some cars use a ...Button... to kill the engine
(not the key cylinder on the steering-collumn)
which can be confusing to a person renting a car,
who gets in a panic
Or, just anyone who buys a new car. They generally don't give lessons with the new car.
I have been noticing several TV ads out now that show the person starting the car buy pushing a button on the steering wheel. The ads are npt necessarily car ads, and I forget what they were advertising. But, I've noticed them dealing with Lexus, Kia, Toyota, and even some GM models. I've never actually seen such a car. Are they on the arket?
Yes, our Toyota Venza does not have a key, only the push button. You keep a fob on you (or in my case in my purse) and that sends the signal to the engine. You step on the brake, hit the button, and the car starts. There is no key for even the doors.
my point is,
with the new keys.............
key
ignition...on/off
crank
.......................
are not in the same place anymore
My guess? he’s a liberal and he’s looking for a pay day. It’s also possible he was put up to it.
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