Posted on 03/10/2010 6:36:28 AM PST by justlurking
Before he called 911, James Sikes says he reached down with his hand to loosen the "stuck" accelerator on his 2008 Toyota Prius, his other hand on the steering wheel. The pedal didn't move.
"My car can't slow down," he began when a California Highway Patrol dispatcher answered his call.
[...]
During the two 911 calls, Sikes ignored many of the dispatcher's questions, saying later that he had to put his phone on the seat to keep his hands on the wheel.
Leighann Parks, a 24-year-old dispatcher, repeatedly told him to throw the car into neutral but got no answers.
"He was very emotional, you could tell on the line he was panicked," Parks told reporters outside the CHP's El Cajon office. "I could only imagine being in his shoes and being that stressed."
Neibert told Sikes after the CHP caught up with him to shift to neutral but the driver shook his head no. Sikes told reporters he didn't go into neutral because he worried the car would flip.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I panic in situations, too, and my daughter, now 25, has always had a cooler head than I, even when she was much younger. But I understand what you did. I don’t understand what he did. Was your situation a Prius?
Small detail:
There’s nothing contrary about being on a cell phone with both hands on the wheel in CA, since it’s illegal to use a cell phone which isn’t ‘hands free’ while driving here. I don’t like that our far-leftist blue state is so increasingly big brotherish this (and so many other) ways, but it’s pertinent to your point anyway...
Let’s wait to see what comes of the investigation before accusing the driver of some sort of fraud. Presumably the “black box” will not fall into the hands of Toyota to spirit away, and details of the incident will be unraveled.
That said, there should be some direct control a driver has over the mechanics of a car. There’s something very “HAL” about having a computer control the gas pedal of a car, frankly.
when driving a prius, the cushion of smug protects you...
I simply would have tried to put it in neutral knowing that the car wouldn't flip.
Prius driving liberal fool.
Power assist systems simply reduce the effort to use them. It does not reduce the effectiveness of the mechanism. If you can't control a car in an emergency without the power assist system, perhaps you shouldn't be driving it.
I've driven several vehicles with neither power steering or power brakes. Power steering is primarily needed when maneuvering at slow speed -- good systems reduce the power assist as speed increases.
It takes very little effort to apply non-power brakes if you simply lock your leg and let the reduction in your momentum continue to apply the pressure. For those that don't understand the physics, think: "I slide forward in the seat because the car is slowing down".
The ride lasted PLENTY long enough for hindsight to set in.
ROLF, there is no key in a Prius. It’s a push button start/stop.
Precession? Not likely. Probably didn't even know what it meant.
All new automatics I've owned since about 1990 would not let me turn the key to the point of removal/wheel lock with the transmission in anything but neutral or park. So, yes, you could lock the wheel while in motion (neutral). If you keep it in drive, then it shouldn't turn. Again, these new cars with push-button starts are different. Not sure about the key function in them. Best thing - familiarize yourself with your vehicle. Find a parking lot and try different things.
I’d love to get my hands on that car. Most cars use the drive-by-wire technology but I can not see the brake system using that set-up. It just wouldn’t make sense. I wonder if that driver even tried to put the emergency brakes on??
Well, that's got to be a lie. But he sounded so genuinely terrified on the 911 recording. Makes you wonder how much of this has been a hoax all along.
DAMN Harder? You bet — in my 3 ton Expedition. I always test my vehicles for drivability with the ignition off to kill the power steering and power brakes. I can stand on the brake pedal with both feet and push as hard as I can and she doesn’t slow down much! And steering without PS boost is really tough. Everybody should teach their kids to do this in a parking lot with no cars. It’s a good “just in case” lesson.
Actually, there is a "key". The key fob (that operates the remote lock/unlock) slides into a slot underneath the big push-button on/off switch.
I remain stupified by such drivers’ failing to shut-off the ignition, put the car in neutral, etc. How far we’ve fallen in basic science ignorance and common sense.
Having driven cars with power brakes and steering and without power brakes and steering, I can tell you that vehicles with the power assist are much harder to steer and stop when you lose power, than the non-assisted vehicles ever were. But, you are right, it can be done.
Am I the only one that finds that feature a metric ton of crap? A key to activate a button? We’re all iPeople I tell ya! ;)
“Have people gotten stupider over the years?”
Well,,, he did buy a priapus!
I could stop my truck, but I don’t think my wife could. I’d find out, but it is my service to the community to keep her from driving on our roads. We could try in a parking lot, but the store owners might get nervous.
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