“Apparently, most don’t even know how to use turn signals.”
I know how to use turn signals, but often don’t when changing lanes on the highway. Around DC, it’s taken as a challenge and the driver in the lane you want to pull into will cut you off. It’s been that way for 40 years or more.
“If you have to LOOK to shift from drive to neutral…” I fully agree, but Toyota does have some crazy gearshifts that look like you have to zig-zag them to change gears.
You should be able to work all of the important controls without looking at them.
You do have to zig-zag…but NOT from D to N. It’s straight up.
This problem is being made into a crisis of monumental proportion in the media and on the www. Are we approaching “The Day the Earth Stood Still Due to Toyota’s Accelerators?” Is this problem really up there with an approaching asteroid? P-U-L-E-A-S-E. Are drivers today dumber than 50 years ago. A 1960 automobile would start in any gear with the clutch engaged. Reverse on some older automatics was the lower most position on the shift lever, you did need to look. On wet roads the brakes would totally fade out and required holding the pedal down and heating/drying the shoes before the car could be stopped. You could walk away from a lawn mower and it would continue to run. Maybe we are too smart for our own good these days.
It sounds like he inherited his mechanical instincts from his dad. Good for both fo you.
IMHO throwing it in park while moving down the road would be far more dangerous than throwing it in neutral.
“Are drivers today dumber than 50 years ago.”
Yes
School, Municipal, and Tour buses all need to be dumb down with automatic transmission because?
well, this was done at maybe 1 to 3 mph, so it wasn’t very fast.
Yes, that’s what I was taught. The rev limiter will keep the engine from blowing up. Given that your average engine can easily overpower the brakes, yes I know Toyota says that it should stop the car and override the throttle, I would still put the car in neutral the engine can do whatever it wants and you can stop the car.
My opinions are subject to change with new facts
The difference between today and 50 years ago is instant communications.
50 years ago if something happened you got it fixed, some form got filled out and filed in a drawer, and unless some investigative reporter (or Ralph Nader) happened to hear about it and spend countless hours compiling data for a book or newspaper article, nobody knew. Even the newspaper article generally stayed local.
Today if you have a problem it goes into a database that automatically and instantaneously compiles the data and reports anomolies. Perhaps you even post it on the www using your cell phone, perhaps even with a video, and in seconds millions of people know about it.
There were far more weaknesses in the vehicles 50 years ago, but no infrastructure to enable millions of people to find out about them in a matter of seconds.
“Are drivers today dumber than 50 years ago.”
over the years, cars have been become more and more “idiot proof.” therefore, it now requires a higher grade of idiot to kill themself in the safest cars ever.
We are told: "Simply brake with 2 feet, put the car into neutral then turn the engine off."
MAY NOT BE SO SIMPLE! Watch these video clips:
TESTIMONY OF TOYOTA DRIVER WHO ‘LOST ALL CONTROL’
(after putting car in neutral and unable to turn off engine!!!)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8533129.stm
and
"IS TOYOTA’S SOFTWARE TO BLAME FOR SAFETY PROBLEMS"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8535477.stm
and the CA crash:
“911 Call Released from Crash that Prompted Initial Toyota/Lexus Floor Mat Recall”
(with California Highway Patrolman driving unable to stop vehicle)
http://www.cardealerreviews.org/?p=247148
"Witnesses saw flames coming from the front and rear tires of the speeding 2009 Lexus ES 350 before it crashed Aug. 28 in Santee, suggesting ?long, constant heavy braking,? said Sgt. Scott Hill, the lead sheriff’s investigator. "
"Toyota Recalls Spur Worries"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123341958