These questions were prompted by the story of the Toyota Camry with the stuck throttle that crashed, killing 4. I have to ask, because I'm sure that modern cars are different from the last automatic transmission car I owned: a '70 Pontiac Safari station wagon.

First question: is there some kind of interlock/nanny device that would prevent turning the ignition switch off while driving down the highway? I know that modern cars with manuals don't have a stupid device like that, but want to know about automatics. I would expect to just be able to turn the ignition off, wrestle with the lack of power steering, and coast to the side of the road.

Second question: is there any kind of interlock/nanny device that would prevent putting the transmission into neutral while driving down the highway. With the throttle stuck open, I'd expect engine damage if I did this, but that's better than dying.

 

I don't see any reason why a person driving an automatic could not do either option you listed as questions above.

I'm not aware of any devices that would prevent someone from turning off the ignition or putting the tranny into neutral.

 

Thanks, MrClean.

 

My friend is able to turn off the ignition in his 03 F-150 automatic while driving, no problem. In some of the older cars though you could start them up and then take the key out and they would keep running. The newer ones I have done this in just shut off.

 

The Toyota that crashed was actually a Lexus with push button on/off. There's no key to turn, you'd have to hold the off button for three seconds.

There's nothing keeping you from putting it into neutral though.

 

I think I read the cars with the stuck throttle problem had keyless push-button start. The driver didn't know to hold down the button to override the ignition and turn off the car.

 

Actually I think there MIGHT have been a shift interlock on the Toyota that prevented the driver from putting the car in neutral while the engine was under throttle. I found a few interesting links/posts on the general topic.

Here is someone who says he can't put his Prius in neutral when driving. It's possible that at speed and under throttle the computers in the Lexus will not let the transmission go into neutral to protect it from damage. I'm only guessing but I believe it is possible.
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www....oldest&offset=2
See post 39
One person suggested downshifting but I don't think that would work as the ECU won't let you downshift into an overrev condition.

The LA Times suggests the problem might be that in a panic, neutral isn't always easy to find given the autoshift gates on some cars. It's too easy to move past neutral rather than actually shift into it.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/18/bu...a-recall18?pg=4

CR also mentioned issues of brake fade in some test they did. They found with two car that the brakes would overhead when stopping from 60mph while fighting the motor.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009...o-the-test.html

I certainly could understand how someone might not know to hold the start button down for three seconds to stop the car. The neutral on sounds a bit less plausable but under a panic and what the heck is going on here condition I could see someone missing neutral. However, in the famous California Lexus case the officer was going long enough that I find it hard to believe he didn't think to shift into neutral. I wouldn't be surprised if either there is an interlock to prevent shifting under throttle at speed or perhaps if there was a computer problem perhaps it also prevented the computer from shifting the transmission into neutral when neutral is requested by the driver (remember these transmissions are electronically controlled so you can't force it into gear without the consent of the computer.

 

^ very true, when people are in panic they are not thinking right. still those deaths could have been avoided

 

With the keyless push button start, how does one normally turn the engine off at the end of the trip?

 

You push the button again. It's a start/stop button. Not like on the s2k where you only use the button to start the car.