Motorists today have a habit of dealing with crisis's when they arise never having given any thought to what they would do if and when certain emergencies arise. It's all part of our let someone else worry about it" culture just as we saw yesterday with the man who's car was out of control SUPPOSEDLY.
I say supposedly because if he and other Toyota owners gave it some previous thought, he and they would have known how to handle the situation without needing to call CHIPS to slow down the car.
I don't care what he says was happening in the car, why these people don't put the car in neutral is beyond me.
I say supposedly because if he and other Toyota owners gave it some previous thought, he and they would have known how to handle the situation without needing to call CHIPS to slow down the car.
I don't care what he says was happening in the car, why these people don't put the car in neutral is beyond me.
And you would think with all the attention being given to the Toyota malfunctions the company would send some sort of emergency check down for the owners to observe and practice if and when the situation arises as happened yesterday strangely while the company was giving a demonstration as to how this shouldn't be happening!!!
So I thought I would post something that might get in the hands of the right people on what to do, since I do own one of these cars that I bought for my mother, and we had the accelerator get stuck on the floormat a couple times nearly 10 years ago!
1st thing to do is this:
We took out the floormat, cut the top three inches off it, and the problem never re-occurred to this day.
We took out the floormat, cut the top three inches off it, and the problem never re-occurred to this day.
In addition I also had an accelerator stick on a '84 trans Am of mine which blew the motor by the time I thought about turning the key off when I was only 17, so here's a simple list of three things to do if this happens to you:
So if the floormat cutting didn't work and this happens to you , try this:
First put on your turn signal and negotiate your car over to the furthest right lane, turn on your emergency flashers, and put the damn car in neutral.
It will slow down on it's own and come to a stop, unless you're headed down Mt Everest at the time. Do not turn off the vehicle at until stopped because you may lose control of the steering and could possibly lock the wheel.
Wait until it's stopped before turning it off/ Then call triple AAA or whoever you need to to come and get you and the car. PeriodSecondly, there is no secondly.
That's all you need to do, put the car in Neutral, and simply let it slow itself , or slow it down with the brakes coasting in neutral on the shoulder then coming to a complete stop.
And if it doesn't slow down for some reason, inch up against the guardrail and that will do the trick as well, if there is one there to do so, or the cement median works good for that too if you cant get to the right lane on a highway.Otherwise, pick something soft and unpopulated to run into if all else fails
That's really it.
It's not brain surgery and anyone qho can manage to drive a car can accomplish it if they just keep their heads and follow the simple procedures,......turn signal, right lane, emergency flashers so the people behind you know something is wrong, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, and let the car coast to a stop.... which it will eventually do.
Here's a few more tips from the cop who helped stop the man out of control yesterday who if he followed my directions would not have been through the harrowing experience he went through not knowing WTF to do even though he knew the car is one of the Toyota's needing repair unless he spent the past month on Mar
How to stop your car when the throttle is stuck - Autos- msnbc.com: "With fear of unintended acceleration approaching the dimensions of mass hysteria, now is a good time to review the fundamentals of operating cars so that drivers are prepared in the event of a stuck throttle, whatever the cause.The first order of business is to ensure familiarity with the car and its controls, advises Popular Mechanics magazine’s automotive editor Larry Webster. Check the placement of the pedals to avoid accidentally pressing the accelerator instead of the brake. Practice shifting the transmission into neutral. Practice shutting the engine off with the transmission in drive.The shifters and keyless engine stop/start buttons in many new cars may be unfamiliar to drivers who should study them in preparation for an emergency situation. Beyond simply examining these controls, practice using them, Webster suggests."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Some rules: No leftwing attacks nor Obama supporters so don't waste you're time & especially mine. All 99% others welcome to have your say.