What to do if your Toyota suddenly takes off
SEATTLE --- Runaway Toyotas have been blamed for dozens of crashes across the country.
With millions of cars on the Toyota's recall list, many owners are wondering what to do if their car suddenly takes off.
Four people died in an accident near Dallas last month. Police say there was no evidence of breaking or skid marks before the Toyota Avalon drove into a pond.
It's one of scores of accidents that could be linked to runaway Toyotas.
Just this week, a woman in Pennsylvania says her car suddenly lurched forward smashing into a cleaners. It's not known what caused the crash, but her Camry is on the recall list.
"Try not to panic," said Trooper Keith Leary. "It's much easier said than done."
Leary teaches advanced driving techniques for the Washington State Patrol. He says in a runaway car, your first instinct can be to start slamming on the pedals.
"If you start jamming around down there, you could even possibly cause your car to go faster," he said, adding drivers should keep cool. "Take the vehicle out of gear by shifting it into neutral. After you do that try to find a safe spot as best as practical to pull off to the shoulder of the road."
After you have brought the car to stop, turn it off to make sure it doesn't take off again.
And there is something else you can do in extreme cases when you can't get the car into neutral. You can simply turn off the ignition as the car is going down the road. But you have to be very careful. This is much more dangerous than the other technique. The roadway has to give you a clear straight stop, because your steering wheel could lock up.
It's better to simply put your car in neutral and brake to a stop.
With millions of cars on the Toyota's recall list, many owners are wondering what to do if their car suddenly takes off.
Four people died in an accident near Dallas last month. Police say there was no evidence of breaking or skid marks before the Toyota Avalon drove into a pond.
It's one of scores of accidents that could be linked to runaway Toyotas.
Just this week, a woman in Pennsylvania says her car suddenly lurched forward smashing into a cleaners. It's not known what caused the crash, but her Camry is on the recall list.
"Try not to panic," said Trooper Keith Leary. "It's much easier said than done."
Leary teaches advanced driving techniques for the Washington State Patrol. He says in a runaway car, your first instinct can be to start slamming on the pedals.
"If you start jamming around down there, you could even possibly cause your car to go faster," he said, adding drivers should keep cool. "Take the vehicle out of gear by shifting it into neutral. After you do that try to find a safe spot as best as practical to pull off to the shoulder of the road."
After you have brought the car to stop, turn it off to make sure it doesn't take off again.
And there is something else you can do in extreme cases when you can't get the car into neutral. You can simply turn off the ignition as the car is going down the road. But you have to be very careful. This is much more dangerous than the other technique. The roadway has to give you a clear straight stop, because your steering wheel could lock up.
It's better to simply put your car in neutral and brake to a stop.