Trailbraking outlawed by Federal Government

[Hick]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/business/global/03toyota.html?hp

[Hallen]

I think you mean heal-toe outlawed...

Trail braking is when you are still braking as you are turning into a corner, albeit at a greatly reduced amount compared to your straight line braking, and you aren't generally using any throttle at that point.

Left foot braking and using throttle to balance the car would become impossible with that system too.

For the numbsculls out on the open highway with automatic transmissions, this type of system is probably a good thing. For the rest of us who drive manual transmissions and actually know how to drive, well, it kinda sucks. I'm sure we'll find a way to disable the system for track use though. I don't like that it is going to be a federal mandate, that's stupid, especially since it looks like car manufacturers are doing it anyway as a sellable safety device.

[Massive Lee]

"The brake override system... is meant to deactivate the accelerator when the brake pedal is pressed. That will let the driver stop safely even if the car’s throttle sticks open."

This would prevent left foot braking as well as heel and toe to be possible.

[E30SPDFRK]

Fucking Toyota. Anyone know how many cars actually went out of control?

Just one more reason for me to think that electronic throttles are stupid.

[dashboardmonkey]

How would they install this system on a cable or linkage operated throttle?

I imagine it would be easy on a "drive by wire" system.

[Restoman]

Fuck me! This country just needs to shut down. Next someone is going to drive their sports car into congress.

[hoveringuy]

I'm pretty sure Porsche and BMW already have it. I think the way it works for Porsche is that you can be hard on the brakes but still have a limited amount of throttle authority (15%?) for rev matching and such.

I don't think the legislation is a big deal. Toyota is just leaning on their quality reputation like Mercedes did in the mid 90's.

[mar1t1me]

Without the system, a car’s computer might think a driver wants to keep accelerating, and ignore a driver’s efforts to depress the brake pedal and stop the car. Once the system is installed, it will stop the car if both the brake pedal and accelerator pedal are depressed.

WTF?????

According to Car and Driver:

...brakes by and large can still overpower and rein in an engine roaring under full throttle. With the Camry’s throttle pinned while going 70 mph, the brakes easily overcame all 268 horsepower straining against them and stopped the car in 190 feet—that’s a foot shorter than the performance of a Ford Taurus without any gas-pedal problems and just 16 feet longer than with the Camry’s throttle closed.

These "victims" of unintended acceleration are clearly standing on the gas, thinking it's the brake. Asshats like these won't be saved by such a system because it ain't the brake pedal they are pushing in the first place!

Amurikins is soooo dumb.

[FredK]

Nah, I bet they're actually depressing the brakes as if they're coming to a stop sign rather than applying them forcefully. Most people generally do not know what hard braking is.

[Hallen]

These "victims" of unintended acceleration are clearly standing on the gas, thinking it's the brake. Asshats like these won't be saved by such a system because it ain't the brake pedal they are pushing in the first place!

Amurikins is soooo dumb.

This ^

[Zander]

How would they install this system on a cable or linkage operated throttle?

I imagine it would be easy on a "drive by wire" system.

This. ???

[SpecM]

^ I think pretty much all brand-new cars have drive-by-wire

[McGyver]

well a fuel cut-off could be programmed into the ECU that would reduce the flow of fuel to the engine, basically in the same way that the CODE lets you drive until the fuel line runs out of gas (or however it CODE works).

[Zander]

^ I think pretty much all brand-new cars have drive-by-wire

if your responding to my comment I am talking about older vehicles since "all cars" are required to have this system. Unless by "all cars" they mean all new models.
Either way I will make sure said device will not be on any of my older vehicles.

[SpecM]

if your responding to my comment I am talking about older vehicles since "all cars" are required to have this system. Unless by "all cars" they mean all new models.
Either way I will make sure said device will not be on any of my older vehicles.

I'm quite certain that this will only effect "all" new-model cars