Man killed because his cruise control wouldn't switch off!
Discussion
TTwiggy said:
Seems he may have experienced some sort of mental issue that had him pressing the throttle but unaware that he was doing so.
Wasn't there a YouTube clip of a chap under instruction on a race track who did exactly this? He had his foot on the accelerator and went off the track but swore he had his foot on the brake.I could believe this if the 999 call was 8 seconds, but 8 minutes? That's an awfully long time for the body to be in full 'fight or flight' mode without any rational thought.
FunkyNige said:
Wasn't there a YouTube clip of a chap under instruction on a race track who did exactly this? He had his foot on the accelerator and went off the track but swore he had his foot on the brake.
I could believe this if the 999 call was 8 seconds, but 8 minutes? That's an awfully long time for the body to be in full 'fight or flight' mode without any rational thought.
Perhaps he was so convinced that the car was in CC that he wasn't aware that it was actually him pressing down on the throttle? Maybe he only noticed and lifted off (too late) when he said something along the lines of 'hang on a second I just have to check...' to the operator.I could believe this if the 999 call was 8 seconds, but 8 minutes? That's an awfully long time for the body to be in full 'fight or flight' mode without any rational thought.
motco said:
Good thought - if t'was a diesel obviously. He could still knock it into neutral though... Even an auto surely?
Yep, even if the clutch hydraulics fail you can yank the box into neutral.There is indication in that artical that it was a manual.
It is feasible that of you combine a failed clutch and a runaway engine you could end up in a similar situation amd not realise you could pull it out of gear but the lack of braking is 'odd'.
I'm fairly certain most people would be mashing that middle pedal fairly hard.
Zod said:
I don't believe there is a single car on the market now or in the past thirty years on which the accelerator pedal is moved by the cruise control.
Almost every car with a cable that has cruise, eg every 80's 90's 2000's Toyota! My Landcruiser does it & its the same system on all of them.TTwiggy said:
I've read the story now and it does seem an odd one. Young(ish) chap who you assume has some sort of clue about how a car works, wherewithal to phone the police for advice, tried using the engine off button etc, etc and yet it happened. No suggestion he had any reason to take his life (and there are much easier ways), but no faults on the car.
Seems he may have experienced some sort of mental issue that had him pressing the throttle but unaware that he was doing so.
Seems he may have experienced some sort of mental issue that had him pressing the throttle but unaware that he was doing so.
and fully expect that that 'mental issue' may just have been sheer overwhelming panic. Most people never experience that level of terror ever, and have no idea of the degree to which it impairs what we'd normally consider rational thinking. Could have been suffering psychosis etc, but suspect not. Poor sod, poor call handler, poor lorry driver.
There was a case a few years ago where a driver on the lower reaches of the M1 claimed his throttle was stuck open. It was declared bull ordure at the time.
Here perhaps
Here perhaps
motco said:
There was a case a few years ago where a driver on the lower reaches of the M1 claimed his throttle was stuck open. It was declared bull ordure at the time.
Here perhaps
He wouldn't turn the ignition off because he feared the steering lock would come on.Here perhaps
Am I completely missing something here but turning the key one click to the left will not affect the steering lock at all. Even if it did, you could find a long straight, point the lorry in the correct direction then knock it off... He had previous for being a nutcase and was diagnosed with an attention seeking disorder. I'm a bit dubious of the courts findings here
AJL308 said:
Andehh said:
Last 1/3 of the article says it all. He had the accelerator peddle depressed...
[quote]The inquest heard that the main car part that recorded the data was destroyed in the collision, but it had fed the information to the vehicle's airbag system.
That data revealed the Skoda was travelling at 116mph with the accelerator pedal fully depressed five seconds before the crash.
No braking was recorded, but there was evidence of small steering left and right as dashcam footage from Mr Hague's HGV showed the car veering from the middle lane into nearside lane, where the motorway merged with A40.
The car continued to accelerate and hit a top speed of 119mph with the accelerator pedal pressed two-thirds of the way down, two seconds before the impact at 94mph when it was fully off, the inquest heard.
Mr Clatworthy said: "There is no indication that there was any error or problem with any of the electronic systems of the car in the five seconds leading up to the collision."
[quote]The inquest heard that the main car part that recorded the data was destroyed in the collision, but it had fed the information to the vehicle's airbag system.
That data revealed the Skoda was travelling at 116mph with the accelerator pedal fully depressed five seconds before the crash.
No braking was recorded, but there was evidence of small steering left and right as dashcam footage from Mr Hague's HGV showed the car veering from the middle lane into nearside lane, where the motorway merged with A40.
The car continued to accelerate and hit a top speed of 119mph with the accelerator pedal pressed two-thirds of the way down, two seconds before the impact at 94mph when it was fully off, the inquest heard.
Mr Clatworthy said: "There is no indication that there was any error or problem with any of the electronic systems of the car in the five seconds leading up to the collision."
motco said:
There was a case a few years ago where a driver on the lower reaches of the M1 claimed his throttle was stuck open. It was declared bull ordure at the time.
Here perhaps
That was the first thing that came into my mind too.Here perhaps
Very strange all round and must have been terrible for everyone involved.
moanthebairns said:
if this is keyless ignition, throwing his fob out the window would surely cause it to stop once out of distance.
Surely keyless systems will simply bong at you about a missing key but thats about all it will do. If you turn off though, you will of course not be able to turn the car back on. This is what happens on my Mazda. I can start the car and then leave the keys at home. As long as I don't turn the car off or stall... it won't turn off and strand me. TTwiggy said:
TheInternet said:
TTwiggy said:
I must have owned at least 8 cars with CC (including my current one) and the throttle pedal has never moved on any of them. Why would it need to?
If physically attached to the throttle.I just find this bizarre. Cars I've had (off the top of my head) with CC have included a 2001 model Audi TT, 1999 model Jag XJ, 2004 model Audi S4, 2001 model Porsche Boxster, 1997 model Range Rover and a 2014 model Kia Sportage - so a range of ages and 'tech' there, but none in which the pedal has actually moved when CC was engaged.
That's a car that is over two decades old though, I don't know when such practices were done away with but I'd imagine it was a good while ago.
Hoofy said:
Pachydermus said:
Hoofy said:
Can someone really be that dense as to mash the accelerator pedal thinking they were braking (80 year olds aside)?
I suspect the answer is yes
king hell. Well, he's not far off 80!!IanH755 said:
TTwiggy said:
TheInternet said:
TTwiggy said:
I must have owned at least 8 cars with CC (including my current one) and the throttle pedal has never moved on any of them. Why would it need to?
If physically attached to the throttle.
).In an old-fashioned manual with a clutch unless there's a massive internal malfunction it should be easy enough to knock the gearbox info neutral, but on a modern DSG transmission? I don't know. It's all electronic, controlled by wire stuff with no mechanical connection between the paddles/stick and the gearbox so if the car didn't want to select neutral I doubt there anything the driver could do about it.
Similarly, with an old-fashioned key operated ignition switch you could turn the engine off by turning the key, but when the key's in your pocket and there's just a push button on the dashboard? If the car didn't want you to turn the engine off, again, I doubt there's much you could do about it.
Similarly, with an old-fashioned key operated ignition switch you could turn the engine off by turning the key, but when the key's in your pocket and there's just a push button on the dashboard? If the car didn't want you to turn the engine off, again, I doubt there's much you could do about it.
My clutch pedal has a tendency to stick into the car mat, but it only does it when I've mashed it down a bit too firmly. Accelerator being pressed down 2/3 of the way doesn't add up in my head to being stuck in the mat without it being obvious or to someone trying to brake hard - I'd have buried the brake pedal through the floor and kept it there.
Whatever happened, it's a sad story.
Whatever happened, it's a sad story.
Zod said:
I don't believe there is a single car on the market now or in the past thirty years on which the accelerator pedal is moved by the cruise control.
My Mondeo MK3 2003 did that.Yes.
It actually depressed the pedal in the floor for me. Obviously gradually, but uphill it was almost full throttle, especially when speeding up.
Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff