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GasBuddy News Article

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Braking Bad

NY Times -- ..Based on my experience in the 1980s helping investigate unintended acceleration in the Audi 5000, I suspect that smart pedals cannot solve the problem. The trouble, unbelievable as it may seem, is that sudden acceleration is very often caused by drivers who press the gas pedal when they intend to press the brake.

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Submitted Mar 11, 2010 By: Cakes77
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REPLIES (newest first)
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jwalkerh
Champion Author Louisiana

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:33:52 AM

I don't know about this, too many cases of unintended acceleration.
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BlueVanGroup
Champion Author Colorado

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:33:28 AM

"The only thing they had in common was an automatic transmission."

I still prefer a manual transmission. (And I'm happy to crank my own windows, and ...)
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afghaned
Champion Author Hamilton

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:33:09 AM

Have heard this on more than a few reports.
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vizilo
Champion Author British Columbia

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:32:55 AM

I agree plus you can always stop a car by putting it into neutral and turning off car. Only problem is when you are tailgating or in heavy traffic when you don't have time to take those 2 steps.
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nozzle46
Champion Author Little Rock

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:31:37 AM

I think the California incident this week will help finally get to the bottom. Let' s see what Toyota says after this.
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Daveyfudd
All-Star Author Jackson

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:30:39 AM

How many acceleration crashes will it take to get to the heart of the matter?

[Edited by: Daveyfudd at 3/11/2010 10:31:11 AM EST]
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DirtDauber
Champion Author San Antonio

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:30:14 AM

I suspect that there is a lot of unneeded lawsuits about this situation.
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sleepyt
Champion Author Chicago

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:26:00 AM

Well written analysis of the real ergonomics.

The human element is by far the most unsafe element of an automobile.
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DarthDadJr
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:25:18 AM

There is nothing wrong in having an electronic pedal...what is shortsighted is not having a fail-safe built in that causes the accelerator to disengage when the brake is depressed...Toyota has announced that thing will have this installed by 2011...can owners of Toyotas wait this long?
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ziyulu
Champion Author Oklahoma City

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:25:11 AM

Of course braking is bad, it wears out your pads and wastes gasoline.
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bugc
Champion Author Boston

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:24:43 AM

So let's get rid of gas pedals.....
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CptnCanada
Champion Author Saskatoon

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:22:40 AM

Just wait till the I want something for nothing crowd decides to run their Prius into a wall can claim sudden acceleration.. then Sue Toy for big $$$
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civicdutie
Champion Author Rochester

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:22:20 AM

We should not have electronic gas pedals, period.
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RocketmanC99
Champion Author Missouri

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:21:27 AM

Amen! But now that the cat is out of the badge about gas pedals, how many people are going to blame that instead of their own stupidity?
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Bleeder
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:17:44 AM

Interesting thought, but almost impossible to prove. Very few if any are going to admit this.
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NorthglennBill
Champion Author Denver

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:17:19 AM

Somehow, no one has figured out how to fix the loose nut behind the steering wheel. No matter what they do there always seems to be an abundance of this defect.
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FuelBarge
Champion Author Long Island

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:16:42 AM

Perhaps an advantage to a stick shift; step on the clutch to disengage.
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doncNJ
Champion Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:16:34 AM

So, who wants to buy a TOY now?
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EXTREMESNOW
Champion Author Medford

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:15:19 AM

It is more than just the pedal problem.
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Helms
Champion Author Fort Worth

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:11:16 AM

doesn;t explain why the "stick".......smart pedals adn adjustable pedals won;t solve it...need to develop a "fail safe" approach
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nurdco
Champion Author Colorado Springs

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 9:02:35 AM

ADJUSTABLE Brakes have been questionable and this Toyota Issue will NOW highlight this issue...
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WyrelessMike
All-Star Author Little Rock

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 8:36:10 AM

I can attest to that, having done it once or twice, myself.

However, I saw the story about the Prius in California and am fairly convinced that was not that driver's problem.

Then again, the report by the officer that he observed the man literally standing on the brake and not stopping until he was able to engage the emergency brake while standing on the brakes and trying to cut off the engine was fairly convincing evidence...
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