Really GM REALLY????

[Bubba1]

Congrats, Jesda. You just learned today that you can shift a car into neutral at any speed. You've still got much to learn, young padwan. You are supporting my argument that overall driver training in the US is pathetic.

What surprises me is how everyone seems to have forgotten that this was a huge national issue just 12 years ago, when the Audi 5000 had the same exact problem. NHTSA also found the Audi crashes were due to driver error. But as much national hoopla was raised over it back then, you'd think any basic DE curriculum's might have added it? Bzzzt.
I've had stuck throttles a few times over the years. There was no drama in any of the cases.

[AppleBonker]

Did you learn on a MT car? I think that changes instincts. Most people would go for the gas, and not even think about shifting to neutral. My first instinct would be to hit the clutch removing (except in cases of a transmission malfunction) power from the pavement. Then I would worry about slowing down/etc.

[Bubba1]

Did you learn on a MT car? I think that changes instincts. Most people would go for the gas, and not even think about shifting to neutral. My first instinct would be to hit the clutch removing (except in cases of a transmission malfunction) power from the pavement. Then I would worry about slowing down/etc.

Yes, I did, but I don't think it changed my instinct. Of course, the first instinct in a MT would be to simply push the clutch pedal. My first stuck throttle was in an automatic trannied car, and happened in my teens on a busy road. At the time, I just thought of it as an annoyance, not a big deal.

[AppleBonker]

Fair enough. I don't remember what I would've probably done when I was 16. I learned on an AT car, but shortly thereafter had a MT as a daily. Now I can say with confidence that I'd hit the clutch pedal (even in an AT car). I'd just mash into the dead pedal at first. Then, I'd probably shift to neutral.

Then again, none of this surprises me. On an enthusiast site, I would expect most members to be able to cope with this sort of incident. The average driver, on the other hand, is completely retarded. I'm surprised most people can actually tie their shoes in the morning, let alone pilot a motor vehicle. Requesting they actually drive properly is WAY too much to ask.

[Poyzinous]

I think a lot of you dudes are confusing some non-existent "emergency brake" with the parking brake. The parking brake won't stop you like the normal brakes when you're moving along. Its called a parking brake because it is used when the vehicle is parked. Hence the name. Its just a mechanically actuated system to apply pressure to the rear calipers/drums to lock the rear wheels. Lock up your rear wheels at 60 mph and try to turn. Yep, uncontrolled drift aka panic slide aka fish tail aka self-inflicted P.I.T. maneuver. When the Accelerator pedal gets stuck, simply throw the car in neutral, or slam the standard brakes. Modern braking systems have 500 to 600 hp of braking power. Easily overcoming a 120hp hybrid motor or even 300hp V8 motor.

[Jesda]

Congrats, Jesda. You just learned today that you can shift a car into neutral at any speed. You've still got much to learn, young padwan. You are supporting my argument that overall driver training in the US is pathetic.

While my teenage self was unable to stop a runaway car, neither was a trained officer of the law. I doubt there's anything in the police academy, at least in California, that covers "what to do if the damn thing won't stop" as such a failure is considered quite rare. Who would have imagined that a Lexus would be less predictable to drive than, of all things, a Ford with an architecture that dates back to the late 70s?

Say what you want about me -- know that you're suggesting the same nonsense/idiocy applies to a dead cop who was well-trained.

Driver education is lacking, but cars should stop when told to stop.

Oddly enough, I had a friend whose LS400 did the same thing, but in his case it was a sticky throttle cable. Not a big deal, but he stopped his mother from driving it and sold the vehicle.

[Bubba1]

[
While my teenage self was unable to stop a runaway car, neither was a trained officer of the law. I doubt there's anything in the police academy, at least in California, that covers "what to do if the damn thing won't stop" as such a failure is considered quite rare. Who would have imagined that a Lexus would be less predictable to drive than, of all things, a Ford with an architecture that dates back to the late 70s?

Say what you want about me -- know that you're suggesting the same nonsense/idiocy applies to a dead cop who was well-trained.

Oddly enough, I had a friend whose LS400 did the same thing, but in his case it was a sticky throttle cable. Not a big deal, but he stopped his mother from driving it and sold the vehicle.

Not all police officers receive advanced driver training. And I'm sure those that do, received all varying quality/amounts of it. I'm not disparaging the dead officer or his township's policies as we don't know his level of training or all of the circumstances surrounding his accident. But most advanced driver schools out there cover the "what do you do if" scenarios.

Basic driver education is inadequate IMHO

[Jesda]

Basic driver education is inadequate IMHO

Agreement.

I'm also going to troll the snot out of you in PA next year.

[truckmtr240]

Still I would take any GM car over ANY Toyota for the reason I like my life and don't want to die because the pedal got stuck.

Are you really that incapable that you can't put the car in neutral?

[Koshin]

if its not a Nissan its junk

El OH EL

[Infinitiguy19]

Still I would take any GM car over ANY Toyota for the reason I like my life and don't want to die because the pedal got stuck.

Are you really that incapable that you can't put the car in neutral?

If your paying $30K or more for a vehicle like that you shouldn't have too. But by all means you go ahead and risk your life in one, I will keep to my noisy GM automobiles.

Talk about random when we all started to agree with each other.