[patrickg]

I had a runaway cruise control with a turbo-diesel Dodge/Cummins pickup. It was not a fun experience. The truck went to max throttle/acceleration in traffic on the freeway. The steering wheel mounted switch would not turn the cruise off.

Stepping on the brake would not turn the cruise off!!!

Coast and other controls on the cruise were ineffective. Worse yet stepping on the brake could not significantly prevent the truck from maintaining/gaining speed as the engine was more powerful than the brakes and even with the big diske up front they eventually fade.

I had no reasonable option but to turn the key off and suffer the loss of power steering and power brakes. I managed to get across 3 lanes of traffic and make an off ramp while coasting and got stopped at the end of the ramp. I started the truck with my foot on the brake, intending to turn it off again if it took off out of control but the problem was gone and never happened again.

I have had other problems with that truck's cruise gaining speed over time. Set it for 70 and over time it would creep up to 80-85 but could be reset slower or turned off. When reingaged it would "creep" up in speed again. That was fixed underwarranty. No one had a clue about my total out of control runaway problem. Gee... can't reproduce it reliably... then it must be your imagination...

Do be careful! Be prepared to take emergency action...whatever that is!

Will the Prius allow you to shut it down while driving down the road? If you have to be stopped in park then a runaway cruise could be very interesting.

Pat

 

[patrickg]

I just feel I have far more control without cruise than with it.

My 2 cents. YMMV.

Susan

Susan, This isn't just a feeling it is a fact, you do have more control doing it yourself rather that using cruise. If cruise control is used properly it isn't a problem and the benefits easily outweigh any downside. Unfortunately many drivers do NOT use cruise control appropriately. That is why advances in cruise are being made to include rate of closure sensors and computers to automatically maintain a safe following distance, with braking as needed. They are incorporating collision avoidance technology.

Improper application of cruise control includes while driving in congested traffic and or in high speed formation. There are fewer opportunities to use cruise safely than most drivers realize. Driving with your foot poised is stressfull. A good question is: poised over which pedal? The brake would be safer to "guard" than the accelerator. The reaction time to get your resting foot on the brake is not significantly different from that when poised over the accelerator. Having your foot "poised" over a pedal predisposes you (see also gestalt psychology) to press THAT pedal whether or not it is the correct one if an emergency arrises.

Have you seen the reports of people driving from the parking lot into a shop at a shopping enter? A distraction sets them up, they note they need an emergency stop and shove their foot down, unfortunately while it is on the gas not the brake and not getting the desired effect they push the control down harder.

Susan, if you are using cruise where it is safe to do so there is no benefit to tiring your leg, poising it for action. Relax and enjoy your Uberwagon.

Pat

 

[patrickg]

Re: Cruise Control and Sudden Acceleration

on the other hand I don't know how the difference between a "wire" and a "cable" would make a real difference...

I'm amused at how quickly the "wrong pedal theory" reared its head in this discussion. Read my page to understand why I'm chuckling.
--Nessim

What was trying to be said in wire vs cable was that the some cars have mechanical linkages to control the throttle while the Prius is electronic, i.e. throtle by wire, electronic signal down a wire not a mechanical movement of the wire, GET IT?

Don't be too amused by the "WRONG PEDAL THEORY" as it has been proven to be at fault in several NON-CRUISE CONTROL related crashes where someone presses the wrong pedal and not getting the desired result presses it harder, i.e. the gas instead of the brake.

Similar and quite amusing if you can laugh at yourself is the gestault psychology self demo thingy where you are stopped on an incline with your foot on the brake to avoid rolliing backward into the car behind you when suddenly you perceive yourself begining to roll backward. You press down harder on the brake but it doesn't help so you press down REALLY HARD but it still doesn't help! Then you realize the lanes of traffic on either side of you have begun to pull forward giving you the illusion of rolling backward.

Pat

 

[patrickg]

Re: Cruise Control and Sudden Acceleration

Wow, two Patrick's on the Prius forum from Oklahoma... what are the odds?

Patrick

Exactly 100%

We picked up our Prius July 3 with 2 miles and a lot of finger prints and some drool on it.

A tad over 300 now while indicating half a tank and computer says we averaged 45.3MPG so far. Hope it gets better as it breaks in a bit. Love the nav systems female voice. I programmed in a destination for the 4th of July but deviated to go to Wally World and she said U-turn in 1/2 mile. Nicer to me than my wife when correcting me.

ON the History Chan program, "Tactical to Practical" tonight they did a bit on autonomous vehicles. They showed a clip of a Prius parallel parking itself as the driver sat there and watched. I was told that the Japanese verson does that as well as has rear disks.

Pat