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Driver Error (pedal confusion) now almost certain in recent NY runaway case.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by uart, Mar 19, 2010.

  1. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    This was buried deep within another topic but I think it deserves it's own thread.
    Data Puts Another Prius Crash in Question - CBS News

    It's looking more and more likely that the recent NY runaway (driveway into stone wall) was a case of hitting the accelerator instead of the brake.

    Just look at the facts.

    1. Low speed driveway and similar situations are one of the most common places that pedal confusion happens. It occurs because the car moves slowly enough at idle to allow the driver to completely disengage their feet from the pedals while doing one of many things like stretching, adjusting something, moving or securing an object, or any of the numerous little things you might do in the driveway. Soon the car picks up just a little bit of speed, even just at idle, and the foot must return to the pedals to start feathering the brake. Only it returns to the wrong pedal and the person gets so confused that they just "latch up" on the gas. Ask any accident investigator how common this type of thing really is, it's quite surprisingly common.

    2. In a low speed incident such as this it is incredibly unlikely that the driver would intentionally use full accelerator, which is the condition that is hypothesised to cause the alleged "stuck throttle" problem. In other words, even if the Toyota sticking throttle thing is real it wouldn't have happened in this scenario anyway.

    3. Driver was inexperienced in the car. Not the owner.

    4. And now the clincher, the ECU data shows the throttle was 100% and the brakes weren't even touched.

    This is exactly what I thought as soon as I read about this (and other similar incidents) the first time. I hopes this revelation will make some of the trolls here STFU, but somehow I doubt it.
     
  2. jcgee88

    jcgee88 Member

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    Think how mad the owners are...she totaled their Prius.
     
  3. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    This is good. As people jump on the "Toyotas are dangerous" accident band wagon to explain their own mistakes (or outright defraud), every one proved false brings the issue back to 'reasonable' rather than 'panic'.
     
  4. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Housekeeper crashed that Prius. The owner is not disclosing the name of the housekeeper. Probably due to the resident status is my guess. I hope they probe into the owner and the housekeeper.
     
  5. 4G63

    4G63 I quit boosting

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    too bad people tend to blame their own mistakes on others. now its a good time for toyota owners to do that because toyota is in trouble. similar scenario just happened to a lady in chicago with her 09 camry. and of course shes blaming on toyota.
     
  6. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    "This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error."