[SystemSafety] SKODA Crash in the UK - Cruise Control Stuck On

Mike Ellims michael.ellims at tesco.net
Sat Nov 26 20:11:46 CET 2016


I did a bit more digging on this one but I can’t find a transcript of the
coroners hearing so some of the details are unclear.

 

An article in the Telegraph to the effect that it should have been possible
to shift from 6th to neutral even without pressing the clutch. The
implication of is that the vehicle had a manual transmission so pushing the
clutch in will disconnect the engine from the drive wheels as would putting
the vehicle in neutral. 

 

In addition this is a German car (basically it’s a VW Golf in drag) so the
E-Gas concept would have been part of the ECU, so in theory if the brake
pedal had be pressed then the engine should have gone to idle. Note E-gas
has been around since the problems with unintentional acceleration in the
Audi 5000 in the 1980’s 

 

This is nominally a closed standard but I found (actually Google found
it...) a copy on-line at
https://www.iav.com/sites/default/files/attachments/seite/ak-egas-v5-5-en-
130705.pdf

 

Gareth Lock commented: “What is interesting is that the Start/Stop button
failed to have an effect”.

There are a number of issues with stop/start buttons.

1.       Some are (or at least were) asymmetric in the operation i.e. press
for ½ second to start and 1 or more seconds to stop...

2.       Start/stop button has to be held - this was noted as being an
issue in the crash with the Osprey tilt rotor reset button - the pilot
never held the button in.

3.       So it’s possible that even if the button was “pressed” it
wasn’t held

 

The Octavia user manual offers the following information on its KESSY system

 

WARNING

■ Never switch off the ignition while driving, as the power steering and
brake booster will no longer operate - risk of accident!

■ Never leave the keys in the vehicle, if leaving children unattended in
the vehicle. Otherwise the children could start the engine - risk of
accident!

 

And:

 

In an emergency, it is possible to switch off the ignition even at speeds
greater than 2 km/h, by using the "emergency ignition shutoff system".
Press the starter button for longer than 1 second or twice within 1 second.

 

 

From: systemsafety [mailto:systemsafety-bounces at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.
de] On Behalf Of Martyn Thomas
Sent: 26 November 2016 10:34
To: systemsafety at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de
Subject: Re: [SystemSafety] SKODA Crash in the UK - Cruise Control Stuck On

 

And here's the Guardian link, with the expert evidence saying that the last
5 seconds showed no problems.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/24/skoda-driver-decapitated-
in-stuck-cruise-control-mystery

The Bookout v Toyota Barr expert evidence [available online] provides an
interesting background.

Martyn


On 25/11/2016 23:53, Gareth Lock wrote:

This link below to a news article regarding a crash involving a Skoda that
sped along a motorway at 119mph after it's cruise control "got stuck",
resulting in the car hitting a parked lorry, killing the driver instantly
was sent to me today. I am sure there is more to it given that the report
is from the Daily Mail, but this is likely to have implications for other
manufacturers and the autonomous cars out there. What is interesting is
that the Start/Stop button failed to have an effect. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3968218/Terrified-driver-32-called-
999-control-Skoda-sped-motorway-119mph-cruise-control-stuck-crashed-
lorry.html 

Regards 

Gareth Lock

 



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