A panic button to stop runaway cars?
Safety leaders are proposing a consistent way to shut down a runaway car: a panic button that responds after a half-second.
This post comes from Des Toups at partner site CarInsurance.com.
That big button marked "Start" on your car's dashboard may soon be marked "Stop."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to standardize keyless ignition systems to make sure drivers can shut off a runaway car. The move was prompted largely by complaints from hundreds of owners unable to stop their Toyotas and attention surrounding a high-profile accident that killed a family of four in 2009.
The hunt for the culprit behind the incidents provoked a firestorm of finger-pointing among politicians, safety organizations and the car insurance industry.
Those unintended acceleration incidents have been mostly attributed to accelerator-pedal design or floor mats wedged atop them, but NHTSA says a consistent means of shutting down the car is needed no matter what provokes the crisis. Currently, some cars will respond to a brief push on the starter button, some require a continuous push of two to three seconds and others may shut down after repeated jabs.
The proposed rule would require any car without a physical key to have a standardized button that stops the engine with a half-second push. The rule also would require some kind of audible warning when a driver tries to:
- Shut down the engine without putting the transmission in park.
- Leave the car without putting the transmission in park.
- Leave the car without shutting down the engine first.
Post continues below.
Know how to shut down your car?
Keyless systems were installed in about one out of 10 cars sold in 2008, NHTSA says. They've only grown in popularity since then, appearing even on such low-budget models as the Ford Fiesta.
Currently the procedure to stop a running engine differs not only from manufacturer to manufacturer, but from car to car. Renters, drivers with multiple vehicles and drivers unfamiliar with the newer technology might benefit from a standardized procedure.
NHTSA complaint No. 10370169, regarding a 2009 Toyota Camry, is typical:
As the consumer moved the gear from park to drive, with his foot on the brake, the vehicle began to accelerate and roar, the RPMs had redlined and the vehicle began to move forward and the brakes would not stop the vehicle from moving forward. The consumer put the gear in neutral and the vehicle was still accelerating. The consumer then immediately shifted the gear into park and the vehicle came to a screeching halt. … Inspection revealed nothing wrong with vehicle. Also, the tires had to be replaced due to excess wear.
Pressing that Camry's push-button starter would have worked, but only if held for three seconds, Car and Driver magazine found.
Even so, it's worth noting that the car insurance industry, which sets its prices based on the auto insurance claims for each model, has made the Toyota Camry one of the cheapest new models to insure.
More on CarInsurance.com and MSN Money:
I liked the old donosaur analog cars better... This computer controlled fly by seems reliable but still eventually breaks and costs too much to repair at the dealer when it goes... The old key switches, cables, hand crank windows and locks at least could be repaired by the owner.
Even adding panic buttons can be a risk if accidentally pressed and potentially could cause accidents...
Uh, how about teaching people to drive this new junk properly instead of putting more idiots that can't drive behind the wheel???
If we want to outlaw anything, make them ditch the drive by wire crap! I have it on one of my cars and I will never buy another newer car with it again.. Give me my throttle cable and control over my car back to me.
The dumbing down of America continues.. .
All vehicles have a neutral position, use it. Even with power steering and power breaks you can turn the steering and press on the breaks. Yes, it is not as easy. But what are the other options, maybe crash and die. Unless the transmission is in park for an automatic and reverse for a standard transmission, the key cannot be put in the lock position. But with a car that does not have a physical switch to cut the power to the engine, put a kill button. But until then, the engine will race until it blows up. That is still better than having an accident. So for all vehicles, put the vehicle in neutral and put on the breaks, stop, put it in park then turn the key off (lock position) to turn the engine off. All you have to do is think and do not panic. There should never be runaway vehicles with this siltation
Auto Mechanic
I think all new vehicles are drive by wire as far as the accelerator is concerned- i.e. the gas pedal moves the wiper on a potentiometer and the computer interprets this signal and adjust the engine speed. Just connect a $10 relay to the brake circuit that ties in with the speed pot. Step on the brake and the CPU sees a “zero call for acceleration”. Even when people panic and press both pedals, to the CPU it will appear that you are not touching the gas pedal. This eliminates TONS of engineering and guv’mint regulations, not to mention literal tons of money wasted. For the sake of electrical noise and reliability, I would use an opto-isolator instead of a relay. Cheap and idiot/panic proof.
PS- this could all be done with a software update to the CPU, the above is just a redundant safety measure.
I thought those were phased out back in the 50s?
Another stupid idea? Letting the cars computer run the throttle.
Yes!! Shift into NEUTRAL. The worst that can happen is the motor exploding.
New cars have so much unnecessary junk on them now, why add more?
Engineers don't need to make cars safer, owners just need to leave their cell-phones at home and take their brain with them when they drive.
I have my doubts about the whole runaway car thing.. If neutral can not be set manually or turning off the key can not stop the engine then the manufacturer has disabled the 2 main safeties' the car already had.. It has been noted that 2 things will stop the runaway syndrome in the Camary.. 1 = depressing the brake and shifting into reverse or park or 2 = stepping on the gas and shifting into low..
If someone wanted a computer shutdown easy button installed on their dash this could be accomplished by wiring a switch into the fuse for the computer.. You could make it cut the power or cut the power and blow the fuse or cut the power, blow the fuse and blow the computer.. I would be willing to install this accessory for a starting price of $59.95..
A stuck throttle on 2 cars has prompted me to turn off the ignition and coast to a stop.. Why do engineers try to outdo each other and overcomplicate the simplest of systems into stealth bomber technology??
Best solution is do not buy this cra$ technology and they will stop offering it..
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