Turn off the ignition switch
What, you can't shut off the ignition (or put the transmission in neutral) if a floormat jams the accelerator?
Toyota has reached an out-of-court settlement with relatives of a family killed when the Lexus sedan they were driving sped out of control and crashed, an accident that put a national spotlight on the sudden acceleration problems that later prompted the automaker to recall millions of vehicles.
~snip~
... Preliminary results released in August from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation into the sudden-acceleration complaints revealed that in many of the crashes the vehicles’ on-board data recorder showed no evidence that the driver used the brakes. The findings suggest that some drivers were mistakenly pressing on the accelerator pedal instead of the brake.
(Source: New York Times)
I know this sounds heartless but I find it difficult to accept that a trained CHP officer couldn't control or stop a car with a stuck throttle. If this happens to you:
- put the transmission in neutral
- turn off the ignition switch (but don't lock the steering column!)
- apply the brakes
