I'm sure Ford, GM et al. would have loved to have kept a throttle cable around for as long as possible, but with fuel regs and pollution requirments being what they are this is probably the best alternative.

Imagine using the cruise control system on the older cars to facillitate the same thing. I bet it would be about as annoying as the skipshift feature used by GM and soon Ford.

Idiots maybe? but that happens alot when you combine fear with inexperience. Even rational/intelligent people do some crazy things.

 

how true

 

Exactly...they were giving the public what they wanted, domestic and import alike!

 

Hmmm would I rather out of control runaway car or potentially puking the trans, I'll take the trans for $3k Bob!

That was one of, if not the, first thing my father taught me when driving... go for the shifter, then keys if you have to because keys will lose the power steering & brakes.

 

In all those accidents via the toyota fiasco why didn't anyone put the car in nuetral?
if my engine suddenly accelerated beyond my control first thing I would do is push the clutch in, get of gear and shut the engine.

makes you wonder if things are just "supposed to happen" to certain people.

 

its very simple..

Natural selection is taking place. Even nature hates the toyota prius.

 

While I also prefer an actual cable, I have had a throttle cable stick @ WOT on a supercharged LT1. But, using common sense I put the tranny in neutral and then shut the engine off. Pretty simple solution, and I agree if you are driving any vehicle and the throotle sticks and you cant figure out that putting in neutral will stop your momentum then you have no business driving.

 

Speaking of dads and funny stories involving cutting off an engine, he had a buddy who did that, turned the key to far and locked the wheel, crashing the car.

Anyways, I'd rather put the trans in neutral and let the engine bounce off the rev limiter myself.

However in the case of the Prius (although I'm told hitting the power button instantly places the car in neutral) the throttle and transmission (a CVT) are both drive by wire and the brakes as part of the regenerative braking scheme can be bypassed by the car's controller as well.

Although the impression I do get from trying to figure out how the brakes work on a Prius, they are still mechanically connected to the driver as opposed being a purely drive by wire system(didn't Mercedes dabble with the drive by wire braking system with ill results sometime back as well????).

 

I like the sensation of uncontrolled acceleration in my Mustang!