Accelerating toward $1 million prize
You might want to intentionally cause some sudden unintended acceleration–you could win some money. Edmunds.com is offering a $1 million prize to researchers who can address unanswered questions about unintended acceleration. Rules will be announced shortly.Meanwhile, Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive of Edmunds.com, takes to the pages of the Washington Post to address the issue. First, he notes, “Despite the flurry of reports, incidents with speeding vehicles are rare. And vehicles today, including Toyotas, are safer than ever.”
Nevertheless, he writes, it remains important to determine whether sudden unintended acceleration is due to electrical interference or a computer glitch, a general mechanical failure, design errors, or driver error.
Anwyl says Edmunds was not able to duplicate the acceleration problem in tests of a Camry or Prius. He says, “As our testing confirms and government regulators and Toyota have said recently, it is extremely difficult to re-create the out-of-control incidents being reported. Reports on Monday regarding a runaway Prius in San Diego were once again inconclusive. It is impossible to rule out any possibilities: electrical, mechanical, design or driver-related.”
According to Anwyl, “We need to focus on the right problem. Toyota’s embarrassment about communication lapses and likely government regulatory fixes miss the point. Our roads will be safer when the root cause of unintended acceleration is known.” He notes that Toyota’s legal bill related to unintended acceleration will be in the billions of dollars, and he says other carmakers, all of whom have received complaints of unintended acceleration, are vulnerable to huge legal costs as well. He concludes, “And who ends up covering this tab? Future car buyers — in the form of higher prices.” The sooner we have a resolution to the problem, the better.
jorick commented:
The newest car models out today have complete computer control of the various functions. If that computer crashes the driver CANNOT do the following:
1. The driver cannot slow the car down by taking his foot off the gas. The computer senses the position of the gas pedal and then adjusts the speed of the engine. If the computer crashes, the car will run at maximum speed.
2. The driver cannot apply the brakes. The computer reads the position of the brake pedal and then adjusts the brakes. If the computer crashes, the brakes will not respond.
3. The driver cannot shift the car into neutral. The computer reads the position of the shift lever and puts the car into the proper gear. If the computer crashes, the shift lever will be useless.
4. The driver cannot shut the car off. The computer senses the position of the key in the ignition and starts or stops the engine. If the computer crashes, turning the key will have no effect.
5. The driver cannot slow the car down with the emergency brake. The power of the car travelling at over 120 miles per hour will melt the brakes from friction in under 3 seconds.
Some cars even have computer controlled steering. I've heard from people who crashed at high speed because they couldn't steer!
No amount of training can stop your car in this situation. If you want to make sure this won't happen to you, then get a car with a manual transmission (you can pop the transmission out of gear) or get an older model with cables instead of computers.
Go here for disturbing details about a crash involving a California Highway Patrol officer and his family (all were killed):
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012803971_pf.html
Go here to hear the cell phone call he made to 911:
www.entertonement.com/clips/fmnjpnzgmb--Chris-Lastrella-911-Call-Before-Crashing-911-Calls-Chris-Lastrella
b. page commented:
It is obviously a software bug and should be
easy to isolate.
Drivers Ed commented:
Does anyone know that shifting the transmission into neutral disconnects the drive train from the engine and prevents a car from propelling itself? Did all of these drivers take a drivers education class where that should have been taught? This would be the first reaction you can take. Secondly, you can turn the ignition switch off, but realize you lose the power steering ability. To some drivers that may be difficult. These are basic driving skills that need to be understood by anyone behind the wheel.
Why isn't Toyota or the NTSA advertising these kind of instructions to prevent any further accidents, while they are fixing the problem?
Theo S commented:
If a pressure sensor was attached to the gas pedal most unintended acceleration problems could be reduced to driver's foot. No pressure no acceleration (rev limiting).
WL Wise, Pres/CEO-WIC, Inc. commented:
#2 Response. "Drive-By-Wire", like "Fly-By-Wire", requires HI-
Talent in EE Closed-Loop DESIGN. I'm World's Expert in FBW C-L
Design, as Gripen Fighter Pitch-Axis "fix" shows -&- Russia asked, "Can We Buy Your Technology?" Gripen "fix", including
-2- patents: $228.30-MIL.!! 18MAR10
Mike Miller commented:
Install a dash mounted manual Kill switch.
The car will come to rest.
Not a glamorous solution, but if it happened to me I'd sure appreciate a solution that is real, that I could depend on.
Andy T commented:
...and the lawyers get $40M from using what you find. Nice try with the $1M pittance - I want HALF.
Timbo commented:
My vauxhall Astra has a known (published) engine problem where a perished oil-seal can cause oil to be sucked into the turbo and cause the engine to literally rev itself to destruction! If the car is in gear when this happens the whole thing just takes off. Turning the ignition off DOES NOT stop the engine when this happens! Several incidents have been reported on this. The only way to stop the car is to take it out of gear and apply the brakes - heavily! Then when the car has stopped, jump out and run for your life!!
agedcheddar commented:
As a teenager I had the "return" spring come off the carburetor while turning off a freeway onto a dirt road. After regaining steering after a few big "fishtails" I combined braking and turning the ignition key to the ACC position to bring the engine to the stop.
I also remember borrowing a few "friends cars" to have a bottle or some debris roll from under the front seat to under the pedals. I'd be kicking like mad to clear the pedals while controlling the car.
My thought is... the potential unexpected problems in full throttle or braking failure could certainly cause an immediate accident when there is not enough time to provide corrective action, but so many of the trouble reports on the Toyota describe a long process where a person was able to call 911 or a friend while failing to push the ignition "stop" button, apply all brakes, shift to neutral, or some action to slow and stop the car. More of the problem relates to lack of driving skill than lack of safety's.
I have definite concerns for drive by wire systems without multiple backup and over lapping safety systems. But I think many of the reported accidents have more to due with smaller and tighter spaced brake and gas pedals.
Finally as an owner of two recalled Toyota's I think the current "problem and resolution" is nonsense. I know the throttle tends to race a bit when quickly driving on a cold engine. You can sense the brake has to be applied much harder to stop the car. Old cars could do the same thing, but "tapping" the throttle would release the fast idle cam, but the new engines don't have a quick release of fast idle, but only lasts a few seconds. I'd like to know of the real reasons for the ignition sticking.
notbornhere commented:
Similar experience 30 years ago on my old car in a different country -and way less electronic on board then...
As a young driver I was taught accelerator cable could jam and turn the engine full trottle and to NOT PANIC but turn the power off without locking the steering.
Happened twice, did as taught. then put back the cable in place after the engine (and the driver) cooled down a bit and made it safe, twice.
I have to admit if nobody had told me about that, I may have panicked...(Thanks dad!)
In these days events, I start to wonder where the truth is given the way the TVs report live. Is it a convenient way to drive a marketing war against foreign car makers?...
hmm commented:
I had the throttle jam flat out on my supercharged corolla, due to a worn throttle cable and my very aggressive driving style. I simply switched the key to ACC which stopped the motor and did not lock the steering, then I brought the vehicle to a stop without danger. Panick causes accidents.
