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I can understand his fear but catching reverse is a better option then dying in a high speed accident of possible killing others in the process. BTW- if you choose reverse in a Prius it will not go on while moving. It will go into neutral. According to the Prius chat forum
Actually, I just spoke to a Prius owner about this. Going into Reverse, while "moving forward" (pun intended) will actually slow down the car if you press on the gas pedal. This would cause you to slow down and stop, then begin to go in reverse.
This whole incident is so damn sketchy - the guy thought that putting it into neutral would cause the car to flip? Are you kidding me? I'd think you could flip a golf cart before you could flip a Prius.
Actually, I just spoke to a Prius owner about this. Going into Reverse, while "moving forward" (pun intended) will actually slow down the car if you press on the gas pedal. This would cause you to slow down and stop, then begin to go in reverse.
This whole incident is so damn sketchy - the guy thought that putting it into neutral would cause the car to flip? Are you kidding me? I'd think you could flip a golf cart before you could flip a Prius.
The whole "flip the car if put into reverse" has been something I've heard as long ago as when I was a kid 40-50 years ago. Always thought it sounded pretty stupid. I guess if you are absolutely car-ignorant it might be something you'd worry about. But, I still can't imagine weighing the risks of that versus hitting something or wrecking in an out of control speeding car and deciding putting it in reverse is the worse of those two options.
After hearing this latest story, I decided to experiment. I took our '06 Prius out on the road, accelerated, and when I reached 50 and my foot was still on the gas pedal and the car was still accelerating, I shifted to neutral. On the Prius (at least, on the 2nd generation model), this means moving the gear selector directly to the left - from Drive to Neutral - and holding it there for a couple of seconds.
The car shifted into neutral, and the engine was racing, but the car started to slow down.
I can understand the panic of a new and potentially dangerous situation, but this person said he drove for approximately 30 miles while trying to get the Prius to slow down/stop. That's plenty of time to put the car in neutral.
According to news reports: "There was nothing else he could have done to stop the car, Sikes said." WRONG!
Thank you, Gene, for unequivocally proving what I have been saying all among.
This one hit a wall and the air bags went off. Driver uninjured. How does that happen and the driver's not injured? Sounds like bad driving, and an after the fact excuse.
like I told ya.. These people are attempting to cash in on lawsuits to Toyota. There is NO doubt in my mind.
Actually, I just spoke to a Prius owner about this. Going into Reverse, while "moving forward" (pun intended) will actually slow down the car if you press on the gas pedal. This would cause you to slow down and stop, then begin to go in reverse.
This whole incident is so damn sketchy - the guy thought that putting it into neutral would cause the car to flip? Are you kidding me? I'd think you could flip a golf cart before you could flip a Prius.
exactly. Putting it in neutral would be like letting off the gas completely. The car will not do anything funny. it will slow down.
The whole "flip the car if put into reverse" has been something I've heard as long ago as when I was a kid 40-50 years ago. Always thought it sounded pretty stupid. I guess if you are absolutely car-ignorant it might be something you'd worry about. But, I still can't imagine weighing the risks of that versus hitting something or wrecking in an out of control speeding car and deciding putting it in reverse is the worse of those two options.
totally untrue. As a kid I accidentally put the shift lever in reverse in my 69 Roadrunner at about 40 mph. The rear tires locked up and I skidded off the road onto the grass. After I came to a stop, I put it in park and started the engine and drove away. No damage to anything. (believe it or not) Gotta love the old Mopar 727 torquflights lol
Yeah, the guy just imperilled his life by purposefully driving 91 mph, right? And the cops are in on the conspiracy too, right?
Guess what, people: the feds, Toyota folks, and a lot of electronics/auto experts are investigating this and probably crawling over every nanometer of that car. If it's a hoax, they could probably spot it pretty quickly and say so. Or do you also think that the out of work actor worked together with some top secret car mafiosos to figure out how to expertly sabotage his car?
Oh wai...don't tell me - the governmnent is in on the conspiracy, too!
Yeah, the guy just imperilled his life by purposefully driving 91 mph, right? And the cops are in on the conspiracy too, right?
Guess what, people: the feds, Toyota folks, and a lot of electronics/auto experts are investigating this and probably crawling over every nanometer of that car. If it's a hoax, they could probably spot it pretty quickly and say so. Or do you also think that the out of work actor worked together with some top secret car mafiosos to figure out how to expertly sabotage his car?
Oh wai...don't tell me - the governmnent is in on the conspiracy, too!
Too many low IQ people on here...
We will know the truth soon enough. At the end of the day he is going to charged with filing a false police report and any other relevant charges. I hope Toyota sues him for defamation.
Last edited by johnfrisco; 03-10-2010 at 01:52 PM..
This Toyota thing is not a conspiracy at all. It's just rampant stupidity and scapegoatism. This latest guy can't figure out how to stop the car, but at 90mph, he's on the cell phone while reaching under the dash with one hand to try and pull the gas pedal up "in case it was stuck."
Words can't express how far beyond ignorant I find it that we hear this story and the focus isn't on how the guy probably had ZERO business operating a car, let alone a highly advanced piece of technology like the Prius.
All these safety and "convenience" features being added to cars are done to further remove drivers from the actual responsibility of controlling 4000lbs of stamped steel and plastic. The technology is being advanced and implemented to ultimately turn every vehicle on the road into a self-driving, personal appliance. Basically, the common city bus, but with only one person on it.
* Automatic Transmissions - So we don't have to shift.
* Cruise Control - So we don't have to keep track of our speed.
* Anti-Lock Brakes - So we don't have to know how to stop the car quickly.
* Traction Control - So we don't have to think about acceleration beyond "floor it."
* Adaptive Cruise Control - So we don't have to think about applying the brakes when we come upon a slower vehicle.
* In-Dash Navigation - So we don't have to know where we're going in our own home town.
* Back Up Sensors - So we don't have to look where we're going.
* Blind Spot Sensors - So we don't have to look where we're going.
* Park Assist - So we don't have to know how to park.
* Hybrids - So we don't have to worry about actually being environmentally responsible.
All these features add to the weight, the complexity, and the cost of new vehicles. At the same time, they imply a greater sense of security behind the wheel - a false sense of confidence if you will - that results in more aggressive driving by a population becoming less and less capable of actually controlling a vehicle.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
In a car with mechanical connections for the throttle, transmission, and brakes, there is no reason why anyone smarter than a tire shouldn't be able to stop it if the engine took off. but if all that connects the driver to these systems is a $30,000 Xbox controller, well, I guess natural selection will not go quietly into that good night. Idiocracy be damned.
Besides, as sad as it is that 50 people have died in "out-of-control" Toyotas since 2002, 3000 people die every YEAR in this country because someone is dicking around on a mobile phone. Where is the outcry over this more deadly behavior? Where are the politicians spouting rhetoric about how the evil cell phone companies need to implement features which prevent any mobile phone functionality in a moving vehicle?
Oh wait. I forgot. 90% of Americans are "better than average" drivers, right? We know what we're doing behind the wheel.
Just a shame that just about anything by actually driving.
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