Toyota sued for fatal crash linked to throttle | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News

Throttle-by-wire in automobiles is a bad idea. Unlike the airline industry, automobile design from concept to production is precipitously undertaken everywhere. There is no excuse for the failure of such an important device. Why would any auto manufacturer move from the time-tested cable operated throttle to something that could be so inherently dangerous. <br />Also, I cannot believe that Toyota did not provide any safety measures into their design. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that an electronic throttle control could and will eventually go awry. Something as clear and simple as a software sub-routine that would override the throttle by application of the brake pedal is mandated into this design. It would also break people of the habit of riding the brake. I hope Toyota gets raked across the coals for this one - they deserve nothing less.