Serious question: what will happen to the cars if they are in motion if/when this happens? Wouldn't the drivers lose their ability to steer and to brake? Don't most cars nowadays have electronic steering and electronic braking?
what will happen to the cars if they are in motion if/when this happens?
A slow grind to a halt. To experience this go find a deserted area and turn your car off while you are driving. Braking is done through hydraulics and that power comes from mechanical motion of the crankshaft to the hydraulic pump. Power steering works the same way. If you have a car that steers / brakes itself you just add a controller to the mix but the basic principle works the same way.
I drive mountain roads frequently and my anxiety always has me panic about losing steering and braking with the car and its electronic braking and electronic steering. I like power assist but all the new cars have "electronic" and I don't know what that means. The parking brake is set by pushing a button (I drive a 2020 subcompact so nothing fancy) and there is a delay until I feel and hear the brakes being set. So you don't think that all the late model cars will crash into each other and/or go flying off the mountainside? That's a relief for my panicky brain! :)
So you don't think that all the late model cars will crash into each other and/or go flying off the mountainside?
No, like I said the ease at witch you brake and steer will become difficult but not impossible. The emergency brake being applied by a button and not a pedal is most disturbing. That is everyone's fail safe way of stopping a car. Are you sure there isn't a pedal / mechanical way of stopping the car?
Anyway, when your engine dies and the braking and steering become difficult you will be amazed at how much strength you will get through adrenaline to safely stop the vehicle.
Only retarded cars like the Tesla are pure drive by wire. Most other cars are mechanical steering and brake. Powesteering is nice but you can still turn the wheels as long as the steering column isn't locked (key unlocks it). Brakes are typically a pure mechanical linkage to a hydraulic cylinder with the ABS cycling some pumps.
Maybe some of the push button starter cars would be locked. I'm not sure how those work. I hate those things.
Thank you for your response. So "electronic" does not equal drive by wire? I ask because I drive a 2020 Honda subcompact and the manual for the car touts "electronic steering" and "electronic braking". When I push the button for the parking brake, there is a slight delay between the button push and the sound and feeling of the brakes being set. I really hate new cars but there weren't any good older cars available when I needed to replace my 2009. I hope you are right and that I'll be able to steer and brake versus flying off the mountainside.
Electronic can easily mean Electronic power steering though most are hydraulic. It depends on your vehicle but most are still mechanically linked. The test is to see if you can move the steering wheels with the car powered off. If you can (with force) cause the front wheels to move from side to side with the car powered off then you have mechanically linked power steering. This type of power steering has been the norm since power steering became a thing because it is robust, redundant, and provides good feedback to the driver.
Some cars are retarded and have gone drive by wire, though.
(post is archived)