More stuff about Toyotas that go faster than you might like.

[zeitghost]

Efficient C Tip #13; Automotive Safety

NHTSA needs to get Toyota to make its existing cars safe and also needs to step up on software regulation and oversight.

For example, FAA and FDA both have guidelines for safety-critical software design (e.g., DO-178) within the systems they oversee.

NHTSA has nothing.

Also, NHTSA recently mandated the presence and certain features of black boxes in all US cars, but that rule does not go far enough.

We observed that Toyota's black box can malfunction during unintended acceleration specifically, and this will cause the black box to falsely report no braking.

NHTSA's rules need to address this, e.g., by being more specific about where and how the black box gets its data, so that it does not have a common failure point with the engine computer.

Stone me.

That's a good way to blame the driver then.

[Mich the Tester]

Are the brakes electronic?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Funny how this only ever affects the Septics, innit?

[suityou01]

My 20 year old Beemer has a high tech throttle cable.

[Mich the Tester]

Funny how this only ever affects the Septics, innit?

No, it's brilliant. Well done to the Japanese for that one. Keep up the good work chaps.

[suityou01]

No, it's brilliant. Well done to the Japanese for that one. Keep up the good work chaps.

That's racist, that is.

[Mich the Tester]

Just think, before long you may have

• a throttle pedal with no mechanical connection to the throttle,
• a brake pedal with no hydraulic connection to the brakes,
• a steering wheel with no mechanical connection to the steering and
• a handbrake with no mechanical connection to the parking brake mechanism,
• a gear selector that has no mechanical connection to the gearbox
• an ignition key with no connection to anything

Doomed etc.

Sounds like my old Alfa.

[suityou01]

Just think, before long you may have

• a throttle pedal with no mechanical connection to the throttle,
• a brake pedal with no hydraulic connection to the brakes,
• a steering wheel with no mechanical connection to the steering and
• a handbrake with no mechanical connection to the parking brake mechanism,
• a gear selector that has no mechanical connection to the gearbox
• an ignition key with no connection to anything

Doomed etc.

The car equivalent of an AirBus then.

IIRC The Ford Galaxy suffered the same fate in yank land some years earlier. There was a documentary ont tellybox. The cruise control was completely banjaxed, and if it got a spike it would basically deck the throttle. People were getting killed.

Ford didn't want to do a recall as it was cheaper to pay out on the odd death, or at least this is what the documentary was not so subtly hinting at. Allegedly they found an email from Ford top brass saying this.

Apparently Ford also said it was possible to bring the car to a complete stop by depressing the foot brake. The documentary stated that it would take the pressure of an elephant standing on one leg to achieve enough pressure.

Throttle cable for me. My car has no cruise control, it many ways it's more like Fred Flintstone's car.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

The car equivalent of an AirBus then.

IIRC The Ford Galaxy suffered the same fate in yank land some years earlier. There was a documentary ont tellybox. The cruise control was completely banjaxed, and if it got a spike it would basically deck the throttle. People were getting killed.

You're thinking of the Ford Explorer - they never sold the Galaxy in the USA.

Ford didn't want to do a recall as it was cheaper to pay out on the odd death, or at least this is what the documentary was not so subtly hinting at. Allegedly they found an email from Ford top brass saying this.

Now you're getting confused with the Ford Pinto. This was before widespread email use so the (urban myth) refers originally to a memo. It's nonsense.

Throttle cable for me. My car has no cruise control,

Good - if your recollection of what each of the controls does is as good as you recall of TV documentaries you'll be better off with less efficient rudimentary controls.

it many ways it's more like Fred Flintstone's car.

Since you appear to have rocks in your head, very appropriate.

[suityou01]

You're thinking of the Ford Explorer - they never sold the Galaxy in the USA.

That you can have.

Now you're getting confused with the Ford Pinto. This was before widespread email use so the (urban myth) refers originally to a memo. It's nonsense.

That you can't have. Obligatory wail link.

Good - if your recollection of what each of the controls does is as good as you recall of TV documentaries you'll be better off with less efficient rudimentary controls.

Less efficient? Works every time, without fail. How is that inefficient?

Since you appear to have rocks in your head, very appropriate.

Since you appear to be a pompous arrogant fcktard I suggest you take this up with SAS.

HTH