I certainly hope this finds you both doing better with the many trails you both have had to face in the recent past.  Anne, my prayers are with you for perfect health to come upon you.

I think EC may have a point.  If you turn off a moving car, this locks the steering column and you will loose complete control no matter what you do.  Putting it into neutral disables the transmission making it more apt to gain control and stop the car. 

Just my experience.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Message:

RE:  How to stop a car.

OnStar can turn off the engine in the car.  That\'s about it.  The additional equipment needed to control the brakes and steering is not there.  The OnStar engine shut down feature is used to disable cars that have been reported stolen.

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There is probably no \"best practice\" to stop a car, because there are so many variables. 

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On some cars the steering remains unlocked with the engine off, others lock the steering. 

.....A car will stop and steer with the engine off, but more physical effort is needed.  Best to test this on a deserted road because results will vary from car to car and driver to driver.

.....If the brakes work, use them! 

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If the brakes won\'t work, it may be best to stop the engine.  With the engine off, use the gears.  With an automatic, shift into the lowest gear.  With a manual, use the clutch and downshift through the gears one at a time and as quickly as possible.

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Don\'t forget about using the \"parking\" or \"emergency\" brake.  Apply this brake gradually on slippery roads as the car can spin out if applied suddenly.

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If the engine can\'t be stopped without locking the steering, shift the transmission into neutral and focus on the brake pedal and the parking/emergency brake.

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Most important:  Get aquainted with your car and try emergency stops.  Does the steering lock with the engine off?  How much effort is needed to steer and stop with the engine off?  Can you stop the car with the parking/emergency brake?

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Finally, always THINK and don\'t panic.

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Safe travels,

BG - a car guy for 50 years

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#5  (Reply)

From:  HR

DATE:  Sept. 8, 2010

Dear Patrick and Anne:

The reason most mechanics do not advise turning off the engine of a run-a-way car is you would then lose the benefit of the power steering assist making the car much harder to steer.  Also, many cars with the ignition key on the steering column incorporate an anti-theft lock in the steering column which completely locks the steering wheel such that it will not turn at all once the key is turned all the way off.  Also, some very recent cars have a push button on/off switch which will not allow the engine to be turned off while the car is moving.