car stuck at 60 mph on freeway

[Trekker4747]

Yeah.

When you have thousands of these things speeding along roadways at many tens of miles-per-hour I think that a physical connection exsisting between the control systems in the car's cabin to the external components is a good idea. Given the treatment and state of disrepair many people drive their cars in having a large point of failure in a car between the only means of stopping it and moving it seems dumb.

It's not like in airplanes where checks are made on the things on regular basis to ensure the fly-by-wire systems are up to par, some people don't do the simple task of getting their oil-changed every 3000-5000 miles. So the drive-by-wire system is too big a point of potential failure. As Toyota has proven with their cars right out of the damn gate.

Computer systems on occasion go ape-shit. Let's make sure those computers aren't controlling the cars speed, m'kay?

As for the main topic, I would agree this is a failure of proper driver training and preperation for an emergency. There's any number of things one can do or try and do and that when the driver actually did one of the first things reccomended to him (hit the brakes as hard as he can and pull up on the handbreak), hey, the car stopped!

Heading it into on-comming traffic with a large field to his right was also incredibly dumb. Some people just don't know how to drive.

I was driving along one day a few weeks ago when a car ahead of me either ran a red-light or mis-judged a "left yields on green" light and made a turn infront of me. He saw me and slammed on his brakes, stopping in the middle of the intersection. I simple made a quick evasive manuver to port 'round behind the guy to avoid a collision (rather than slamming on my own brakes or swerving the car in front of him -his line of travel.)

Quick, rational, and logical thinking saved me from an accident and possibly injury.

This guy apparently had time to call his dealer and the police, so he obviously had some of higher-reasoning available to him. But then he went nuts, went into "the car is posessed!!!" mode and then swerved the thing into oncomming traffic.

 

[John Picard]

Look, don't take this the wrong way, but your knowledge of cars is lacking. It's going to take a lot to get brake fluid to boil, and your uneducated bias against Fords is evident. The Towncar and Crown Victoria have very powerful braking systems. Pumping, followed by locking the brakes, will effectively get the vehicle under control. Worse case scenario, I'd have that car grinding down the concrete retaining wall and into the water barrels.

Look, don't take this the wrong way... But don't EVER assume anyone ever performs service on said car. When the last time you had brake fluid changed? That shits not part of ANY brake service i've ever seen. How much water you think gets into your system?
Also, kinda hard to lock the brakes of an ABS system.
But i will admit a total boil maybe the wrong word. However am i the only one who's felt the pedal sink to the floor while high speed braking?


We are not talking about what YOU would or what I would do.. we are talking about what your/my mom or grandma would do. PANIC!!!

OTW, I've owned a Towncar. Shitty OEM brakes.. You fail...

1) I perform all of my maintenance on my vehicles.
2) My mom wouldn't have panicked because my dad taught her the same, plus she wouldn't let old men in Cadillacs try to bluff her when she was out driving. She could put that 1975 Chrysler Newport anywhere she wanted.
3) Towncars have four wheel disc.
4) You're right about the panicking with all of the other idiots. Hence, why I wouldn't shed a tear if every car in the US were crushed to build high speed rail. And this is coming from a car nut.

 

[Saturn0660]

1) I perform all of my maintenance on my vehicles.
2) My mom wouldn't have panicked because my dad taught her the same, plus she wouldn't let old men in Cadillacs try to bluff her when she was out driving. She could put that 1975 Chrysler Newport anywhere she wanted.
3) Towncars have four wheel disc.
4) You fail.

1. Then you should know how nasty the shit looks when it comes out.

2. Don't be a fool.. When i say your mom i mean the average person. it's called reading between the lines.

3. WHT does that have to do with anything.. So she had disc all around. That doesn't mean they were any good.

4. I love fail.

 

[Emher]

Back in the late-1980's, my dad proclaimed that most people don't drive, they aim. This was all before anti-lock brakes, keyless entry/ignition systems, electronics in braking systems or the throttle, stability control, etc, etc, etc. People are no longer taught how to drive anymore, meaning accident avoidance maneuvers, how to control a skid, and most importantly, how to ditch the car without causing major mayhem.

Throw me into a situation like the above, and I guarantee you I'll get out of it or have the vehicle off of the road. Have you heard of, "the tail wagging the dog?" That's when, while towing a trailer, the trailer started to undulate back and forth thereby affecting the tow vehicle. If the operator doesn't incorporate the right course of action, both will jackknife and potentially spin out. Been there, and I know how to recover. I've had a U-Haul moving truck start rocking due to high winds, and had I not acted properly it would have flipped over. My dad also stressed to always be aware that I might need to drive off the road to avoid an accident, or how to drive into a cow or a horse that might wander into the road.

The problem with drivers is that 95% are too passive and treat it like a mundane experience. That's why, every day, I see more and more idiots distracted with their stupid GPS devices on the dash or yapping on the cell phone.

I've learnt to drive and regularly drive on a car that only help it has is ABS brakes, no traction or stability control. And I'm a better driver for it. But it also means that when I get into a car that does have traction control and anti skid brakes and all that in winter, I have a lot of fun it since I can take it much further. So I scare the shit out my passengers

 

[enlisted person]

I believe that every car needs a kill switch just like a motorcycle.

 

[Tim]

I believe that every car needs a kill switch just like a motorcycle.

Many (most?) cars have a cut-off switch for the fuel pump, though mine is inconveniently located on the passenger's side floorboard.

 

[trampledamage]

I believe that every car needs a kill switch just like a motorcycle.

Many (most?) cars have a cut-off switch for the fuel pump, though mine is inconveniently located on the passenger's side floorboard.

Try reaching for that doing sixty down the freeway!

 

[Tim]

I believe that every car needs a kill switch just like a motorcycle.

Many (most?) cars have a cut-off switch for the fuel pump, though mine is inconveniently located on the passenger's side floorboard.

Try reaching for that doing sixty down the freeway!

I'm flexible.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

A kill switch might sound like a good idea, but any switch that exists can be tripped accidentally. And what happens when you do that while going at 60 mph? You'd scatter your car *and* bodyparts all over the highway.

 

[Tim]

A kill switch might sound like a good idea, but any switch that exists can be tripped accidentally. And what happens when you do that while going at 60 mph? You'd scatter your car *and* bodyparts all over the highway.

Physics says that your car would slow down and then stop after the engine shuts off, giving you enough time to put on your four-way flashers and let other vehicles pass you.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Even considering the forward momentum of the car? When it's going that fast, a sudden stop would not be pleasant.

 

[Tim]

^ Even considering the forward momentum of the car? When it's going that fast, a sudden stop would not be pleasant.

It wouldn't be a sudden stop; the cutoff isn't going to engage the brakes, put the car in park, or seize the engine. With the car in gear, you'd engine brake until the car came to a stop.

 

[Lindley]

Huh. I've known about the fuel cutoff valve in a Cessna cockpit for years, yet it never occurred to me that something similar might exist in a car. I'll need to see if I can find mine.

 

[StarryEyed]

IMO, the biggest design flaw in cars since 1970 or so is the integration of the start/ignition switch with a mechanical steering lock. It may make things difficult for a car thief but it is a serious safety hazard. There should never be anything preventing a driver from simply switching the ignition (or fuel solenoid in a diesel) off.

 

[Trekker4747]

Huh. I've known about the fuel cutoff valve in a Cessna cockpit for years, yet it never occurred to me that something similar might exist in a car. I'll need to see if I can find mine.

Every car since the late 80s has had a reset switch somewhere in it for the fuel pump. (I think it's more to re-activate the fuel-pump when it's shut off in an accident.)

^ Even considering the forward momentum of the car? When it's going that fast, a sudden stop would not be pleasant.

So.... You think that when the fuel-flow to the engine is shut off the car is just going to go from 60 miles and hour to 0 instantly?

MOMENTUM DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!!!​

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

So.... You think that when the fuel-flow to the engine is shut off the car is just going to go from 60 miles and hour to 0 instantly?

How the hell should I know? I'm not a bloody mechanic. I'm guessing here, based on the admittedly simplistic assumption that with fuel = engine runs, without fuel = engine stops. Of course the car would gradually slow down, but even then, it's got plenty of time to hit something along the way...

MOMENTUM DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!!!

Okay. Fine. I get it. Can we move on?

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

^^^It should really be common sense man.

Ahh, Morbo has a million uses.

 

[Trekker4747]

So.... You think that when the fuel-flow to the engine is shut off the car is just going to go from 60 miles and hour to 0 instantly?

How the hell should I know?

Fourth-grade physics?

Of course the car would gradually slow down, but even then, it's got plenty of time to hit something along the way...

Thankfully, the steering wheel and brakes don't need gas to work. (Granted, once the pressure is out of the braking system they'll be harder to use, and the sterring will be tougher without the power-sterring pump running, but both will work with effort.)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It wouldn't be a sudden stop; the cutoff isn't going to engage the brakes, put the car in park, or seize the engine. With the car in gear, you'd engine brake until the car came to a stop.

Engine brake...ah, I see. I guess I was thinking too much about sudden stops as if you'd slammed down on the brake pedal.

 

[Deckerd]

Yep, that's in the article too.

It had locked up in motion.

The ignition key wouldn't turn.

The gears were locked.

The brakes were useless.

That's a whole lot of independent systems to crap out at once.

That's what I'm thinking. This is really goofy and I'm having trouble believing the guy was really in danger. Those are all separate systems. The failure of one does not effect the failure of the others.

In the UK he would probably have been charged for a few offences. It doesn't say what the Melbourne police did afterwards but I'd be surprised if they didn't check the car over and then charge him too.

Off the top of my head, it sounds to me like he shouldn't have been driving and not because the Ford dealership told him that driving the car would be dangerous but because he's not fit to drive.