Why we need better driver training....

Not even the cops had enough brains to tell her to turn the engine off!

Pretty bad....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Steve wrote:

Modern automatic transmissions have an interlock so that the steering wheel will only lock, and you can only get the key out, if it's in park. Otherwise it will go to "off"(not lock), the key won't come out, and the steering wheel won't lock.

A lot of manual transmissions have a button, or other release that's required to get the key past "off", so you can't inadvertently lock the steering wheel.

In my car the steering wheel has to be turned over 1/2 a turn from center before it will lock, so even if you manage to be dumb enough to take the key out, you would have to be going pretty slow to be able to use half a turn. More then enough to maneuver on a highway. I do realize that the wheel locks at different points depending on the car.

Another point people will bring up is the loss of power steering. When the car is moving you don't need power steering. The wheel requires a bit more effort, but nothing extreme.

People will also comment on Power brakes. Usually you can get 2-3 full brake applications before the vacuum is depleted. Enough to stop on the shoulder. Once it is depleted, you can stand on the brake and get a reasonable amount of braking action if you have to(works better with an automatic because the pedal can accommodate both feet).

I have practiced this in my car. I have made turns without power assist, and I have braked without power assist. It requires a bit more effort, but it is much safer than barreling down the highway at 80mph.

Another possibility is to put it in Neutral. The rev limiter will kick in on modern cars, but you can quickly stop the car and shut the engine off before damage occurs. And a blown engine is preferred to ramming the back of a semi.

I'm sure that unintended acceleration happens to many people that properly handle it. They safely stop and it is no big deal, and doesn't make the 6:00 news.

Something that disappointed me was with the Ford cruise controls that caused unintended acceleration, Ford showed that the brakes could overpower the engine, instead of showing how much easier it is to stop with the problematic engine shut off.

I started to mention that, but then I decided that maybe she wasn't still on her cell phone after she called the 911 dispatcher (I HOPE not anyway) and decided it wouldn't be a good idea to call her back :-)

And they did want to play "Ponch and Jon," after all....

And don't owners manuals still recommend finding a deserted parking lot or stretch of road and TRYING this, for the VERY PURPOSE of feeling how the car will behave with no engine power? Its STUPID (there's that word again) not to be aware of how the car will behave without its power assists, since something as simple as a broken belt can disable power steering, and something as simple as a cracked vacuum hose can disable the power brakes.

Sounds like they were into having fun to me too.

They easily could have just told her over their radio with the bull horn under the hood. Those things are loud.

Mike

And somewhere around the time of 02/03/2004 11:46, the world stopped and listened as Bill 2 contributed the following to humanity:

I can see *ONE* safety device that *EVERY* car should have...and I know for a fact that the cars that student drivers use for driver training have this...An engine kill switch. It's a big round red button that if you push it cuts out the fuel pump and/or ignition. This would be something that I personally would like to see mandated.

There is already a switch that covers that purpose. One sticks a key into it to start the vehicle. Other than for lowest common demonator purposes I see no reason to mandate a panic button.