How Powerful the Brakes Really are...

Times have changed. I learned what to do when the brakes didn't stop your vehicle in 9th grade, even before having it reinforced in drivers training.

 

The point was that it should be "old news."

From a comment on a Reuters news story in the Detroit Free Press about Ms. Alberto's fatal accident in her 2005 Camry in 2008:

Feb 12, 2010 9:02pm EST
I can sympathize with the family’s loss, but only to a degree. When operating a motor vehicle you are the “pilot in command.” Driver licensing standards have become way too lax. If you cannot safely react to common failures to systems such as a stuck accelerator, brake failure, engine cut out, power assist to steering or brakes, etc. you quite simply should not qualify for an operator’s license. PERIOD.

foureyedbuzzard


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My point. I think it should be required that we have "continuing education" as you have had.

 

Like every body else, I don't think we'd be using that full/maximum pressure dead stop unless we have to. I'm talking about the way the brakes feel without having to step on the brakes on maximum pressure. Those tests are not efficient to measure the safety of other important aspects. Such as the recall of the brakes had to do with the brakes failing when it hit a speed bump. And it definitely does not measure the quality, response, and feel of the brakes at normal use which imo does not compare to audi, bmw, land rover, mercedez.

 

Thinking that Japanese brakes are not as good as European brakes in terms of feel/response is a perfectly valid opinion but has little to do with the topic of this thread, which is primarily concerned with stopping power.

 

Why are you so hung up on this? Is the passenger a trained observer to react in an emergency??? To give detailed info that 'you' will accept???
That statement by her is most appropriate when a car is supposed to be breaking and slowing down, yet it was accelerating. And, it could also mean that the brake wasn't effective.
Why not ask that passenger? Oh, I think they all died

then you make a dumb statement about the investigation. They must have a bunch of tenderfoots working there, right??? I guess you would say the same if an air safety board's finding didn't agree with yours???
Amazing.

 

Obviously you think a bit highly of European cars. They have worse brakes then Japnese cars unless you go to the high end carbon brakes on Porche etc. Otherwise most BMW, Mercedes cars have very cheap brakes and they don't last twice as long as normal Japanese build brakes(brake pads).

 

I am sure the Prius brakes are powerful enough. We should have some one test it out the stopping power from different speeds.

 

It is encouraging to see that you have dropped the "you will come to a stop" [emphasis added] claim in the OP that is disputed by a number of other sources, some of which you dismissed out of hand.

Federal standards require light vehicle brakes to meet certain stopping distance standards under a variety of impairments and faults. Unfortunately, it appears that while in gear, the only throttle condition specified is "closed", not "wide open".

I haven't yet located any similar standards for power steering performance.

 

Oh hockeydad...I've been where you are here on this forum many times. PriusChat is different than other Automotive forums...there is an astonishing level of arrogance here and an utter refusal to accept that someone else may know more about a specific topic than someone else. It really is incredible...and very frustrating when you know that the people arguing with you are just so completely wrong...as many are here. You've handled yourself well lol

 

Probably because most of them get tired of reading drama, of which you have been a major participant in creating.

 

You mean like hockeydad's thinking that he knows better about how Toyota should handle the PR matter surrounding the recalls than Toyota and his refusal to listen to other posters like fuzzy1 who are more familiar with the various PR pitfalls.

Congratulations on moving to a more "hot" car (as in sans SR). You're the first person I've ever heard of who've unloaded a car because of a disgust with how a manufacturer is handling the PR matter. Good luck with whatever you drive now.

 

Just wanted to be sure since tone is hard to convey on the internet...you do know I'm on your side...right?

To be fair, PriusChat is a VERY active forum. I have been moderating car forums for a long time and those percentages are very typical. You're always going to have a very small percentage who are "regulars" and high posters...and that percentage is actually unusually high here at PriusChat.

Actually I didn't mean anything about any of that. Hockeydad unquestionably showed that he has a good understanding about the physics and practice of precision driving and he's found an utter refusal to give him any deference for that knowledge and experience at all. I've had similar training and I can tell you...he knows what he's talking about.

His decision to sell his Prius (which was crazy stupid IMHO) doesn't have any bearing on whether or not he is correct that the braking system on a car is the most powerful system on the car. It is.