There was an exercise in pilot training which instuctors would inflict upon students with regularity prior to solo. It was called "runaway trim" and involved simply holding the trim button at the top of the stick in one direction until the trim limit was reached. It was done while the student was in control of the jet by an instructor. The idea was that if you are in control and the machine is doing something you didn't ask it to do, then you need to exercise your authority and control it.
Passive students would often assume that the IP had taken control, but the rule was that without a formal exchange which included IP saying "I've got it"; student responding "You've got it"; and a stick shake to identify that transfer had taken place, you should keep flying YOUR jet.
One student nearly killed me one day. He was probably the best I'd ever had and I may have had too much confidence in him. I ran the aileron trim to full left and he let the airplane roll left. After two revolutions, I asked him what he was planning. With each roll the nose dropped further and the airspeed built. After four rolls and at about 60 degrees of dive and a lot of knots, I took the airplane and it took 10Gs to make the pull out. In the process I watched his head begin to nod and then total unconsciousness as he slumped forward. I didn't even notice the G, which might be the result of a two quart dump of adrenaline in the bloodstream.
That training teaches military aviators that they are in control of the vehicle. That's why I wonder about the Toyota run-away throttle business. People apparently haven't considered what they might do in the situation. I've thought about it and it seems pretty simple. Push the brake pedal. If more response is necessary, move transmission to neutral. If still not adequate, turn off ignition.
Would you die without trying those actions?
The nagging question was would they work? Now I've seen this test by Car and Driver magazine:
Dealing With Unintended Acceleration
So, it seems like my plan would be effective. As a bonus, the comparison also showed that with two Infinitis in my garage each night, that my automotive brand of choice is well engineered for this sort of occurrence. But, it will apparently work with most cars.
4 comments:
Ed, I agree with C&D.
I'm an accident reconstructionist. That means I've been to the schools and practiced those skills out in the real world. In 24 years I probably investigated several hundred crashes where someone complained that 'the brakes failed'. In all those cases, I found only one where I could definitively say that the braking system failed, kinda. In that one I only proved that the anti-locks on a 1996 Caprice cop car would lock up at the rear when unweighted by flying over a rise in the roadway at 62 mph whilst chasing an unrepentant fleeing felon. (The engineer Chevrolet sent out practically went spastic over that one)In every other crash it was a case of operator error. This is usually caused by hitting the wrong pedal, the accelerator or clutch instead on the brake.
The culprits were usually somewhat advanced in age but I've seen every age group represented.
What that means that unless someone really is out to get you, your brakes will work. It takes a truly catastrophic systems failure to result in the total loss of brakes and I've never seen it. Brake fade is an issue but the speeds required for it to become a factor are significantly above freeway and certainly city limits.
All that to say this. If your mind is on anything except driving you're not as safe as you should be. Don't sightsee. Don't eat or talk on your phone. It you must navigate, pull over before you check your map or for landmarks.
On virtually every modern(ish) vehicle sold in this country, your even marginally maintained brakes are stronger than your engine. High horsepower/torque cars may be an exception (as CD pointed out) but I'll bet I can stall out the motor with the brakes at freeway speeds without too much effort. Loaded semi's are the exception but that's more a weight issue than horsepower or torque.
I thought you drove a Lexus.
Would two of them be "Lexi"?
Of course, it is so pesky trying to downshift, hit the brakes or shift to neutral when one is drinking a latte and touching up the old makeup on the morning commute.
Two comments:
If you shift to neutral, just expect the engine to blow up.
If you turn the key off, and go too far ('stress, anyone') expect the steering wheel to lock. Thank you FedGov.
But. once again, it is much ado about nothing and has more to do with the new owners of GM trying to hurt the competition, than with 'safety'.
I've driven Infiniti since 1995 and am currently on my fourth and fifth.
Yes, popping out of gear at full throttle will probably blow the engine, but when one considers the alternative, it seems a reasonable choice.
And, turning off the engine either in gear or in neutral will not lock the steering. "Park" does that. You simply lose power assist to steering and brakes. But you can still steer.
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