Turning the X5 off in an Emergency

[JCL]

Originally Posted by ABMW

Guess what? There have been multiple instances of all redundant systems failing, despite electronics that put the most advanced automobile systems to shame, and have been tested to degrees that should theoretically provide fail proof systems, but they've failed nonetheless, despite the odds, and people have perished as a result.

Planes have redundant systems because of the obvious difficulty in pulling over to the side and parking, and because they typically use automated inflight controls such as autopilot.

Let's design a redundant system for a gas pedal. What would it look like? Would it be a second gas pedal, so that you had to be telling the car to accelerate via two separate systems, simultaneously? Would it be a failsafe that allowed the car to decide that it would rather not accelerate right now, that things just don't feel right? No thanks. Would it involve the brakes being a no-go signal that caused the accelerator to go to idle? Brakes can already overpower the accelerator, so that isn't a step forward except for the lawyers.

Where is the failsafe for the drivers who are in control (or not) of these vehicles? Maybe we could have two driving positions, for two separate individuals, and the car could calculate the average of the inputs. God help us all.