Cruise Control
 

Went to post this in the existing thread on this topic, but the thread is closed.

Seems like it doesn't only happen in the Gulf...

A driver phoned 999 as his car sped down a motorway at 119mph after the cruise control locked, an inquest heard.
Kaushal Gandhi, 32, of Harrow, Middlesex, desperately tried to stop the out-of-control Skoda Octavia before it crashed into a parked lorry, killing him instantly.
In the eight minutes leading up to the collision, Mr Gandhi told the call handler that the cruise control had become stuck and he could not stop the car accelerating.

Apologies for the Fail link.

Harrow driver 'called 999 as his out-of-control Skoda sped along a motorway at 119mph' | Daily Mail Online

Re: Cruise Control
 

Assuming stepping on the Brake had no effect :
Shift into Park or Neutral and turn the ignition off?
Pull the handbrake?

Re: Cruise Control
 

I hope he was using a hands free kit for the phone.

Re: Cruise Control
 

Handbrake wouldn't do much. I remember once pulling onto the motorway in my dad's BMW - accelerated up to about 80mph no problem when I noticed the handbrake light....

Re: Cruise Control
 

I'm guessing that's some time ago -- with a mechanical cable between the pedal and the drums: bloody useless. If the Skoda's like the last two VWs I've driven, the handbrake is either "on" or "off", via a switch; **** knows what would happen activating that at 100mph+.

I'm guessing that this was a case of either stupidity / suicide, or hacking. Who knows what weaknesses exist in VW's software.

Re: Cruise Control
 

Most of the modern ones now are a servo operated piston piggybacked onto the main brake caliper. Pressing the switch just pushes this out against the brake disc.
I'd imagine zero effect at 100mph, wouldn't even cause a skid or wheel lock up.

Re: Cruise Control
 

Software probably doesn't allow it to happen when moving anyway.

Expect more of these stories to come as self driving cars all come online.

His option only was neutral as I doubt the off button works at speed either. If a manual you've still got that option ... On an auto maybe not.

Re: Cruise Control
 

Yet on the software interrogation it says the accelerator was planted on the floor and the foot brake was never touched in the previous 5 minutes.

Suicide.

Re: Cruise Control
 

Sh*t that's some scary stuff....i use my cruise control all the time:eek:

Re: Cruise Control
 

I'd always considered the hand-brake as available in an emergency, even though the old-style cable system was pretty ineffective - but something's got to be better than nothing.

Why would neutral not be an option on an automatic? I suppose if the fly-by-wire system is totally down nothing would happen, but simultaneous failure of the cruise control system, gearbox system and braking system: that seems so unlikely. Got to be driver error, suicide or hacking.

Re: Cruise Control
 

There have been so many stories about this, and one wonders what is the truth. Typically, the press story blames the car mechanics/electronics, while the posters in the comment section blame the driver.

Elder daughter #1 has read the stories and refuses to use CC...

Re: Cruise Control
 

This is the first incident I've heard of outside the UAE. (Not saying it's the first incident, merely that I haven't heard of others -- but there was a huge spate a couple of years ago in UAE, which drew a great deal of scepticism -- the demographic was highly consistent.)

Re: Cruise Control
 

All Emiratis, and all in Land Cruisers.

Not one South Asian or Brit or Filipino or any other ethnicity.

Re: Cruise Control
 

Think its a load of balls. Even if the car is accelerating and you can't take it out of gear / turn it off and assuming you're not driving a torquey 5.0L monster then stamping on the brakes would do the trick. Hand brake unlikely as you say, especially if it is one of those annoying button jobs. I think it it is me in that situation and all of the above didn't work Id just lean it into the armco until it did stop.

Re: Cruise Control
 

Exactly.