Sure. You want all the redundancies like the F16 that has 4 computers that can run it, how much you want to pay for it? Oh, you are going to lose fuel mileage due to the extra weight too.

not quite like that, but if you are going to go "wired' on critical controls like throttle, and have functions controlled by ECUs, then there should be a failsafe way to shut the damned thing down upon failure. think GA aircraft, not F16....;)

The pilots of the plane that carried Lynyrd Skynyrd apparently found that task to be quite counterintuitive. In regard to the Prius, I don't know how old the Prius driver is, but I believe there to be a link between advancing age and diminishing technology-savviness. There is a reason old folks flock to the Mercury Grand Marquis or older Mercedes models - the driving controls operate on the same principle as those on the 1954 Ford that they learned to drive on.

They would atleast do something !!

I agree with the "useless".

I also think it’s a sign of what I’ve felt for some time now.
That people don’t take the time to learn, and therefore are clueless as to how their car and its systems actually work. They know enough to jump in, start it, put in gear and go. That’s it.

As soon as they get into a sticky situation, they’re clueless and panic. In this case, some are dying from their own lack of knowledge.
Yes – Toyota has some problems with their cars. But if some of these folks would take a minute to study the book the car came with, they’d not find themselves freaking out on the road... or dead.

Don’t even get me started on pulling over to help out a would be normally intelligent mature man who hasn’t a clue where the cars jack and/or spare tire is. :mad:

Like you said, turn it off. Hold button down for a few seconds or toss it into neutral. However, YOU have to do it and not panic.

Driving down a mountain road in a gas-pedal-happy Prius, shod with those low-rolling resistance, low-stiction tires? Pass.

Staged. The news was already there, during a segment about Toyota's press release (on Bloomberg), and he managed to get out a phone and call 911, but couldn't stop the car? ABC already tried shenanigans. This is more of that.

People get old and they are incapable of absorbing new technology. Remember, the body is like fine wine. It gets better with age UP TO A POINT. Then it becomes vinegar. The human body is not designed to last for eternity. Why do you think women get menopause? As such, like you said, they flock to the old school stuff they understand because they can't grasp newer ideas.

X2

Also -
It isn’t about putting more systems in the car.
It’s about the person in the car not having a clue how to operate the systems it already has.

There is.

I think you just hold a button down for 5 seconds. :D

I think the problem is not simply understanding the material. It is practicing the material. Yes, I know what to do when my car slides out. HOWEVER, because I don't practice it, when it comes to crunch time, I panic and any knowledge goes out the window. If you want to learn how to control the car in a slide, take it out to an open lot in the middle of the night and practice recovering from slides. That way, when you DO slide, you will already have the reflexes.

Nothing is foolproof to a talented fool..... :D:D:D:D
There seem to be a lot of exceptionally talented fools out there these days....

true, but it seems like folks are either not doing that, or it is not working. a simple pull out buss that kills the power to all the systems would be a cheap and simple fix. THEN of course, you have to get people to know what to do.....:)

I don’t care how old they are. If they can’t grasp the "push and hold a button for 5 seconds " procedure, then they shouldn’t be driving anything. No matter how old school it’s systems are.

Since a good chunk of people can't even name their own state capitol or current Vice President, its not too much of a stretch to think that many Toyota drivers don't know how to shut the car off in an emergency.

I bet if you asked Toyota driver's how many cylinders their car has, the majority wouldn't know. The results would probably be worse for Kia and Hyundai drivers.