Stuck Gas Pedal

[JoeH]

911 dispatcher: "You can't do anything like turn off your engine?"

Too bad the dispatcher's suggestion did not penetrate through the caller's mind and get passed on.

[Doc]

> What would you do?

Shift into neutral, set the parking brake and try to turn the ignition off.

[C(-)ris]

davec wrote:
mrlynn- yes, that would work. Many people don't realize, though, that if they shut off the engine they will lose their power steering and power brakes. You would have to be prepared to really use a lot of muscle to control and stop the car once the ignition is off.


Dave

That isn't really true. The only time it is hard to turn a car with no power steering is when the car isn't moving. Brakes are the same way...you know, cars didn't used to have power brakes not too long ago. Pump them a couple times to build pressure and it will stop. I would call this the result of panic and poor judgement.

[lafinfil]

I would update my FaceBook page

: -/

[davec]

C(-)ris wrote:
[quote=davec]
mrlynn- yes, that would work. Many people don't realize, though, that if they shut off the engine they will lose their power steering and power brakes. You would have to be prepared to really use a lot of muscle to control and stop the car once the ignition is off.


Dave

That isn't really true. The only time it is hard to turn a car with no power steering is when the car isn't moving. Brakes are the same way...you know, cars didn't used to have power brakes not too long ago. Pump them a couple times to build pressure and it will stop. I would call this the result of panic and poor judgement.
You are probably correct. I was going by what I read several years ago on the cartalk.com website. What they wrote then probably doesn't apply to newer cars.

Dave

[lafinfil]

As it was pointed out, if you shut off the engine you would still have brakes and steering manually but if you
left the car in gear or even down shifted, the engines braking power would also slow you down quicker.

As stated above - likely due to panic more than anything else

[MacGurl]

Sadly, simple panic.

Many solutions, none used.

I would have shifted to neutral.

[Jack D.]

If they had only posted here instead of calling 911 I'm sure we could have helped them....or they could have just shut the engine off.

Sad, but looks like Darwin scores again.

[Doc]

Jack D. wrote:
If they had only posted here instead of calling 911 I'm sure we could have helped them....or they could have just shut the engine off.

Sad, but looks like Darwin scores again.

Some people haven't seen those tv shows and movies where the 911 operator or cop talks people through how to save themselves in a runaway car.

So, yeah. Darwin. TV saves lives.

[olnacl]

BTW, how DO you shut off the engine with the keyless ignition and a "Start" button? Throw the key out the window?
I'm serious - just thought about it now after a friend took me to lunch in (guess what) a 2009 loaner from her Lexus dealer. Is the "Start" button also a "Stop" button? If the driver had an older model, with key ignition, I could understand the panic, but also wonder why shifting to neutral, for example wasn't on his / her list of things to do before a 911 call.