by Brocephus 44 Replies latest jw friends
looks like the start of a new urban myth.
I think it may have gotten started because the accident that killed that cop and his family in California was in a Toyota product that did not have a conventional ignition key to turn off...rather just a start button. Speculation was that he did not know how to stop it because it was a test drive.
Even if the driver failed to kill the ignition, I do not think Toyota will be able to get out of this one.
I am very sorry to hear that the 4 people in the car lost their lives and condolences to their families
Toyota make some great vehicles. Hilux pickup truck is indestructable and has been to the north pole
They also make some appalling cars like the prius!
Toyota are going to get put through the ringer on this rightly or wrongly because they are a foreign manufacturer and secondly the safety zealots will be looking for every little issue.
As someone else pointed out most modern cars have elctronic controled engine and transmission mangement. There is always going to be a risk that the system might go silly on you.
Also are the insurance company going to pay up? I think not, whilst they may not have been working for a company, in someways they are doing work for a company! And insurance companies hate risk, and driving round areas in field service is risk and the insurance company will look for any reason not to pay up!
Also are the insurance company going to pay up? I think not, whilst they may not have been working for a company, in someways they are doing work for a company! And insurance companies hate risk, and driving round areas in field service is risk and the insurance company will look for any reason not to pay up!
This accident could have happened anywhere. It would be a very weak argument for an insurance company to not pay based on it being JW's doing FS. The next thing is you would have insurance companies wanting to dictate when, where and what route you could drive.
Think About It
insurance companies dont usually have a problem with cars being used by volunteers for registered charities, but you are meant to inform them that you are using it for those purposes and whether you are carrying passengers, some car insurances require that you have business class added to your insurance others dont but you are supposed to let them know.....
if you have a health condition that can affect your driving you are supposed to inform the dvla (driving license people) and declare it on your insurance. there are certain conditions that can have your license taken away for a period of time and some that you can still drive with but under restrictions.
but that is uk, i have no idea how they do it over there.
Maybe it wasn't Toyota's fault but Satan was testing the people just like when Job's children were all killed so really the survivers should maybe excercise more humility and learn from Job.
JWs are all for neutrality but have no idea where the neutral is in their car.
It is my understanding that one of the problems with the Toyota's is the keyless ignition system can't be shut off in these situations. It may not be possible to put the car into neutral either.
To 6 of 9. How else can one explain three dozen people dead because of this. You are right in that putting a car in neutral SHOULD stop the vehicle. How can 36 assumingly competent drivers, including the California CHP officer not figure this out? Unfortunately the deceased cannot speak for themselves but odds are that an electronic gas peddal cannot be the sole problem. No electronic peddals for me. Way too much electronics. My 05 has a computer that controls the starter. You cannot engage the starter while it is already running. I prefer to be the brain of the car, not the ECM.
Even Data on Star Trek often failed in the 24th century.
I do however hope that this stops the carnage. Lots of problems with this company. Check out this URL.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/toyota_engine.html Condolences to the bereaved.
BluesBrother: Another report said that the driver had a history of seizures.
While I haven't seen that report I have personally witnessed that happening (driving despite having seizures) some years ago in our congregation. In other words -- it's possible.
My closest friend (at that time) was sent home from his 18 month stint at Bethel because of daily grand mal epilepsy. This 21 year old was then hell-bent at getting a vehicle, his first. The seizures had taken their toll and were so damaging that most in the congregation conceded that his mind had degenerated to that of a 12 year old.
A problem was his parents. While there was medication available at that time which could work in his case, his special pioneer parents rejected the medical profession and all medical solutions. This was c. 1955 and only a few years after Watchtower relaxed its position on medicine. The Bridgmans hung on to that outdated belief and continued to impose it on their son, Allen. Now, however, he was 21 years old and defiantly went ahead and bought his first car.
I, as a 15 year old, was a passenger with Allen many times and was constantly on the alert to grab the steering wheel. Fortunately, his parents relaxed their position on medication and he has been on some since. I understand he has never had a seizure since and that's been some 55 years.
Len
Think about it!
Insurance companies don't want to pay out. Its not in their business plan. If there is even the slightest chance the person was breaking the T&Cs of their contract they will be all over it! I have a friend who works in the PI business for insurance companies and he investigates people to reduce their insurance payouts.
The scary part is that even just commuting to work isn't covered in a lot of driver's insurance, so what makes you think FS is!
Worldtraveller
electronics are not bad, they just need to be designed properly. Electronic control is what makes your car drink less fuel and to be fair has been running the majority of cars for the last 15+ years. Yes there is a cable from the pedal but its connected to a sensor that is in turn connected to an electronic timing and fuel management computer!
I once had a GM dealer tell me in 2007 that the reason most US GM cars DIDN'T have ABS was because the public didn't want it! WTF!!!! Seriously? Ok the US GM had a problem with ABS systems failing due to bad design (tried to make their own rather than use bosch) but that is just dumb!
If you think any of the other car companies are any better than toyota, think again! Due to the scare mongering press, a high degree of patriotism and buy america retoric in the states the only difference is that the others haven't hit the papers yet! I don't remember public outcry when ford recalled all their 3L v6 engines due to potential fire/explosion hazards, or the seatbelt tension system failure! How about the serious injuries recently from airbags in hondas?
Would I buy a chrysler, or gm or a toyota? It would still be the toyota. (btw I own a ford, a vw golf and currently waiting for my caterham 7 kit to arrive)
There are over 2 million toyotas sold each year in the us alone not including lexus. Even if 36 cars had been destroyed thats still only 0.0002% of the cars sold per year! Thats nothing in the cost of fix vs payout analysis, if the truth be known toyota are going way over the top because they don't want to be branded as the next pinto!
One of my areas of expertise is in human interaction in emergencies. In the past I have worked on railway train escape systems after labroke grove, bercy france and selby. (the uk memebers on the board will know these names well). The truth of the matter is that no one really knows how someone will react in a life threatening situation, until they are actually in it. You would be amazed how many seemingly competent people will freeze up under pressure. Even more concerning is how many freak out! From this, I am leaving out my view on the majority of north american drivers!
If these issues (as you righly pointed out we can't speak to the dead) were all caused by the throttle failure, i wouldn't be surprised if some of these were exacerbated by panic. I also wouldn't be surprised if the failure of the throttle system has a chain effect in the gearbox. But please don't slander a company based on half facts and what is written in a magazine that fails to give a fair and balanced view.
From this some half wit will jerk his knees upwards and bang them on the underside of his desk and put in some half cocked, half baked "safety" solution that will cost the auto industry millions and solve nothing! Cars in the states, will get bigger and heavier so they are more "safe".
