Re:Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences
by infinotize on Tuesday October 29, 2013 @05:09PM
(#6637444)
Handbrakes are almost always mechanical cables, but they're almost definitely not enough to stop a car under high engine output. They're mechanical and not power-boosted (see comments on how much force is needed on the brake pedal without power assistance) and plus, most people have at some point driven around for a few miles before they realized that beeping sound was the parking brake stuck on the whole time.
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Re:Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences
by fnordfnordfnord on Tuesday October 29, 2013 @05:52PM
(#6637759)
Even if you are able to, fully engaging the handbrake in a car at highway speeds, while the drivetrain is in runaway, wouldn't be helpful.
source: I have tested this at ~30-40 mph and nothing about that experience leads me to believe that it would be safer if I had been going faster, and at full throttle.
Re:Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences
by owenmarshall on Tuesday October 29, 2013 @05:17PM
(#6637507)
Oh, of course - I've left the "emergency 'smell funny' lever" on before (thanks Mitch Hedberg).
So you're probably right, it's a stretch to call the handbrake something useful in emergencies when in reality it probably wouldn't perform that function.
Re:Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences
by he_the_great on Tuesday October 29, 2013 @10:22PM
(#6639036)
It's called a parking break now. Only useful when the car isn't moving :)
Re:Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences
by twic on Thursday October 31, 2013 @09:25AM
(#6646612)
It might be sensible, though, to couple a killswitch to the handbrake, so that engaging it switches the engine off, or cuts off all electronic control, or something.
I don't drive cars, so i have no idea if that would conflict with normal uses of the handbrake. Perhaps it could have a position beyond the normal brake-engaging position that did this? So that if someone panics and yanks on it as hard as they can, they get the result they probably want.