Sudden acceleration

[Rolfe]

Goes back a while too.

The 2009 Toyota Accelerator Scandal That Wasn’t What It Seemed

And why it matters for understanding our rocky relationship with today’s autonomous vehicles.

www.manufacturing.net

Thanks to everyone who pointed out examples of the same thing happening in ICE cars. Indeed, now you've done that, I seem to remember hearing something about it at the time. It makes a lot more sense as an explanation if it's not confined to EVs.

 

[Martinonline]

There's a 'exciting' video of a car being driven on to the top deck of a car transporter and then flying through the air as it failed to stop.

 

[Rolfe]

It really is tragic to think of people dying because a driver was frantically flooring the accelerator thinking it was the brake.

 

[Ian Key]

It really is tragic to think of people dying because a driver was frantically flooring the accelerator thinking it was the brake.

That's why I like the car creeping especially when in reverse because I can control the speed with a delicate touch on the brake pedal and if I need to stop quickly my foots already in the right place.

 

[Rolfe]

I like the creep too. Though the car will come to a complete stop on the ACC if the car in front stops (thankfully!).

I like to think that if my car seemed to be taking off the first thing I'd do would be to check which pedal my foot was on. But panic can make people do strange things.

 

[bowfer]

There's a 'exciting' video of a car being driven on to the top deck of a car transporter and then flying through the air as it failed to stop.

The one with the brand new electric Porsche being driven up a steep drive, then shooting up and over another car then down the garden and over a wall.
That’s a beezer.

 

[Scorpion]

It does, kind of, there are cases of auto ICE cars ‘running away’ on cruise etc
But given a lot of ICE cars are manual, any ‘running away’ can be nullified by simply putting the clutch down.




That’s not acceleration, that’s just the braking being interrupted by a tyre slipping.
It’s not acceleration as such.

NO it's acceleration as the speed increases quite rapidly and the first couple of times accelerating into a rounderbout is an interesting distraction. If it was just interrupted braking the car would not accelerate it just wouldn't slow down

 

[DBedford]

Loads of videos on YT about this exact situation with ICE automatics ... usually USA-based drivers.

Enough said!

 

[siteguru]

NO it's acceleration as the speed increases quite rapidly and the first couple of times accelerating into a rounderbout is an interesting distraction. If it was just interrupted braking the car would not accelerate it just wouldn't slow down

But the anticipation of slowing down, and the reality of not doing so, can feel like acceleration.

 

[Scorpion]

But the anticipation of slowing down, and the reality of not doing so, can feel like acceleration.

When you can see the speed increase on the dashboard and later on GPS tracking dash cam shows the sudden increase in speed then you realise that it was in fact acceleration, also the brakes seem to struggle with slowing the car giving a very unpleasant second or two, anyway I'm done with this just enjoy your own experiences and maybe one day you'll learn it's true instead of trying to find excuses to make you all feel better about your car. I'm happy with mine and have learnt a little something to be weary of but at least i know what's happening.

 

[bear1]

It does. There are a couple of examples near me of OAPs putting their new automatic ICE cars through the back of their garages.

My mum passed her driving test later in life and got an automatic Beatle. One evening she got home and started parking (on the road).
Next thing that happened was our neighbour watching as her drainpipe, wheelie bin, Fiat 500 and eventually my mum's Beatle flew down the road.
In her manoeuvring she'd selected reverse instead of forward at - I'm still not quite sure how/why - floored it.

IIRC Tesla didn’t ‘conclude’ anything, they were able to prove it via telemetry.
I’m sure there were all sorts of stuff produced showing a timeline and steering input, throttle input, brake pedal pressure etc.
Maybe MG could theoretically do the same, but they’re not going to bother where there were no fatalities and nothing reputation damaging to disprove, sadly

I assume any telemetry essentially reflects what the car thinks happened. If for example the driver was hitting the brake pedal but the pedal was physically broken before the sensor the car would think no braking was happening. Obviously, in that example it would be easy to see what has happened. But the larger point is that there's still room for technological failure that isn't reflected in the telemetry.

 

[Kithmo]

Some people just won't accept driver error .

 

[bowfer]

NO it's acceleration as the speed increases quite rapidly and the first couple of times accelerating into a rounderbout is an interesting distraction. If it was just interrupted braking the car would not accelerate it just wouldn't slow down

Your car actually accelerating just because one tyre has lost grip is clearly very dangerous and you need to get that car into a dealer ASAP.
You’ve said you’re able to provide proof of the acceleration, so they can’t deny it.

 

[jonney]

Your car actually accelerating just because one tyre has lost grip is clearly very dangerous and you need to get that car into a dealer ASAP.
You’ve said you’re able to provide proof of the acceleration, so they can’t deny it.

Without question it should be brought to a dealer.
This isn't normal behaviour of any car and is wildly dangerous.

 

[Vingnut]

When you can see the speed increase on the dashboard and later on GPS tracking dash cam shows the sudden increase in speed then you realise that it was in fact acceleration, also the brakes seem to struggle with slowing the car giving a very unpleasant second or two, anyway I'm done with this just enjoy your own experiences and maybe one day you'll learn it's true instead of trying to find excuses to make you all feel better about your car. I'm happy with mine and have learnt a little something to be weary of but at least i know what's happening.

This is very much the same as when ACC "looses" the car in front in roundabouts or one accidently activate the ACC.
But that you obviously would have noticed in the aftermath or would you?

Anyway not funny.

 

[Kithmo]

FWIW, the car will accelerate up to the set speed if the ACC is in standby and you accidentally press the ACC button (little steering wheel icon) on the left side of the steering wheel.

 

[Rolfe]

But with the ACC, the moment you even touch the brake it disconnects and full control is back with the driver.

 

[Kithmo]

But with the ACC, the moment you even touch the brake it disconnects and full control is back with the driver.

I thought the OP said it happened when he let go of the brake.
If he let go of the brake then accidentally pressed the ACC button as he was steering, then off it goes.

 

[bowfer]

I thought the OP said it happened when he let go of the brake.
If he let go of the brake then accidentally pressed the ACC button as he was steering, then off it goes.

No @Scorpion said that if he’s braking and one wheel goes over a slippery manhole cover (thereby activating the ABS) his car actually accelerates.
I’ve had scary moments when braking hard and ABS is activated on one wheel before, the car just all of a sudden not slowing down as quickly as it was.
But I’ve never had a car accelerate…that’s just downright weird and dangerous.

 

[Chequers]

Another one accelerating out of control posted on the MG4 Drivers UK Facebook group.

driving away from a roundabout the car suddenly accelerated and despite the driver standing on the brake pedal the wheels were spinning at top speed, car did a 360 then ended up on the grass verge.

MG need to get on top of this before the motoring press pick up on it.