On Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:14:21 -0500, aemeijers
wrote:

Van Chocstraw wrote:
(snip)
Nobody knows for sure how they will react till they are in a situation
like that. Sitting here right now, I can say I would calmly run through
all the steps (including pumping the brakes), and if none of them
worked, look for a guardrail to ease into to scrub off speed. Yeah, I'll
trash the car to avoid a head-on, or t-boning somebody at an
intersection. But the only time I had a runaway, it turned out to be
just a sticking aftermarket cruise control, and turning it off solved
the problem. (noticed the sound was funny when I passed a car, looked
down, and saw I was doing 85...) But if it happens again, in a strange
car, and not on a mostly-empty interstate late at night like the time
before, who knows? My brain might blue-screen too.

--
aem, who doesn't drive much or very far any more, sends....

They specifically say 'DO NOT PUMP THE BRAKES'. Apply steady pressure.
How about turning the ****king key off stupid.

Watch ypur mouth. Not everybody has antilock brakes. Absent antilock
brakes, ones the tires start skidding, no point steering. And on modern
fancy cars, not all of them have keys. Even on cars that do, if you
accidentally turn the key all the way back (which would be the reflex
most people have), the steering wheel locks.
When the throttle is jammed, the advice to NOT pump the brakes is
correct. Nothing to do with ABS. The brake booster runs on manifold
vacuum - and at full throttle there is NO manifold vacuum - you only
have the vacuum trammed in the "reservoir" of the brake booster. That
is good for 2, MABEE 3 applications of the brake before loosing ALL
boost.