'Smart' Gas Pedal Can Stop Unintended Acceleration

Unintended acceleration has a simple solution: A “smart” gas pedal that recognizes the brake takes precedence over acceleration. This means if they’re both depressed simultaneously the software forces the engine to respond to only to the brake and decelerate.

A few European automakers already have such a system in their vehicles. BMW made the feature standard in all of its vehicles beginning with the 2005 model year. It uses a drive-by-wire accelerator and BMW’s own software, but the feature only works when the vehicle is in motion in case tough guys want to rev the engine while holding down the brake.

For Toyota’s 3.8 million recalled vehicles, a smart gas pedal system is a potential fix. Toyota has said it won’t redesign the floor mats, and new software is an option.

Other automakers that use a smart pedal system include Audi, which had its own rash of unintended acceleration cases in the ’80s, and Volkswagen. Nissan will have a similar system for the 2010 Infiniti M, and Chrysler says most of its vehicles include the technology, as well.

Smart Gas Pedals May Solve Floor-Mat Problem (Wheels)

Comments

I take it you'd have to have a "pedal by wire" system for this to work then, right?

I've got an even simpler solution, don't hit the gas pedal and the brake at the same time by driving like an intelligent human being. Honestly, a piece of software that measures what your pedals are doing and gives precedence to one doesn't seem like the simple solution.

However, this will be entertaining for those that "ride the brakes" on the highway, or rest their foot on the brake pedal. It will be fun to watch them come to a halt.

Looks like Toyota was caught with their pants down here.

Here's another tech fix I came up with after seeing brake light switch failures on several cars: The car's computer should monitor rates of deceleration, and illuminate the brake lights any time the rate of deceleration exceeds a certain threshold, regardless of the input from the brake light switch. If the failsafe is regularly being activated, it would throw a diagnostic code.

Hopefully this would only be used on cars with automatic transmissions and not pure manual transmissions (versus automated or dual-clutch).

I thought that I read somewhere that the new Audi S4 with manual has this "feature"... so much for heel and toe.

What about all the cars on the road that don't have floor mat hooks? Are those manufacturers liable too? This is not about anything malfunctioning rather it's about people lacking common sense.