Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences

Re:Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences by matt-attack on Tuesday October 29, 2013 @06:42PM (#6638031)

I agree. With a Camry, shifting into N would have immediately remedied the problem. I remember hearing reports claiming: "Shifting to N didn't do anything".

The explanation always seemed obvious to me: Non-technical driver experiences UA. In a panic shifts into neutral. Hears engine scream. Thinks, "The car is still going!" and doesn't realize that despite the sound, the car is actually slowing down.

I know this to be a common misconception in my experience. People commonly misinterpret high revs with "going fast".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences by drbawb on Wednesday October 30, 2013 @11:48AM (#6641102)

Oh wow, good point, I hadn't thought of that. "High revs" = "motor going fast" to me, not "wheels going fast."

But I had not considered that this correlation is only intuitive to me because I own a car with a manual transmission.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Toyota's firmware: Bad design and its consequences by Zancarius on Wednesday October 30, 2013 @09:21PM (#6644692)

I'd imagine the sudden loss of power should be apparent as well.

But then, people can react irrationally (or not at all) in a full on panic.

[ Parent | on HN ]