[null and void]

Not everybody has the presence of mind to simply turn off the ignition switch during this “sudden acceleration”, making ANY acceleration totally impossible.

Of course, if you do turn off the ignition, your steering wheel locks in whatever direction it happens to be pointing at that moment.

And your vacuum-assisted brakes? well...

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Of course, if you do turn off the ignition, your steering wheel locks in whatever direction it happens to be pointing at that moment.

Bzzzzttt!! WRONG. Turn the key a little bit and it kills the engine, but you still have complete control of the vehicle. You have to turn the key all the way to the off position to lock the steering. Of course, killing the engine causes its own problems -- it is VERY difficult to steer a large, heavy vehicle without power steering and you only have enough vacuum reserve for a few pumps of the brake. The power steering problem is going away as electrically-assisted power steering rapidly takes over from hydraulic ps:

[Moltke]

Of course, if you do turn off the ignition, your steering wheel locks in whatever direction it happens to be pointing at that moment.

On any vehicle that I have ever owned, and to the best of my knowledge any vehicle, only if you remove the key from the ignition. And that's by (sensible) design.

As to the brakes, they'll still work, you just need to push harder (really hard, LOL). Steering and braking are always designed to be 'fail safe' - though the harder actuating forces may catch untrained drivers unprepared.

Once had the (hydraulic) power steering rack leak badly on a road trip 1000 miles from home. Cut the belt to the pump and just went on driving. Did wonders for my arm strength by the time I got back home! (Kept driving the car that way for a few months until I found a good-priced replacement for the 'rack - (semi-classic car). Actually started to feel 'natural' once I got used to it.)

[Nik Naym]

“Of course, if you do turn off the ignition, your steering wheel locks in whatever direction it happens to be pointing at that moment. “

No, it does not. It locks if you turn the key past the off position into the lock position.

And brakes still work without vacuum assist. You just have to press harder.

If your accelerator sticks and you can’t slow the car, put the transmission in neutral. The engine will race but it won’t blow up. If you can’t get it out of gear just turn the ignition off.

Steering will feel heavier and braking will require more effort but the car CAN be brought to a safe and controlled stop.

The above may not apply to hybrids...I don’t know how those work.

[szweig]

Wrong. The first click that turns off the engine does NOT lock the wheel...Stevie666

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Of course, if you do turn off the ignition, your steering wheel locks in whatever direction it happens to be pointing at that moment.” <<

.
You can do better than that.

It takes two clicks and placing the shift in park to lock the steering.

[Kickass Conservative]

PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL.

That is all. Geez...

Of course, it isn’t necessary if there isn’t a problem in the first place.