There Auto Be A Law The Ultimate Gaslight: Sudden Unintended Acceleration
Nov 6, 2025
Phil Koopman, an accomplished automotive safety engineer, delves into the perplexing issue of sudden unintended acceleration. He highlights the evolution from mechanical to electronic throttles and the dangers of misinterpreted data blaming drivers instead of faulty systems. Phil recounts the Audi 5000 case and explains legal tendencies that obscure engineering failures. He warns about the risks of complex software systems and the industry’s pushback against safety improvements, all while emphasizing the need for better regulatory standards.
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What Uncommanded Acceleration Really Means
- Uncommanded acceleration means the car commands acceleration without the driver requesting it.
- The event recorder shows what the computer thought, not necessarily what the driver's foot actually did.
Event Data Isn't Literal Proof
- Event data recorders record sensor and computed signals, not a photographic truth of driver actions.
- Therefore a computer saying the pedal was depressed does not prove the driver's foot was on it.
Audi 5000's Documented Controller Fault
- The Audi 5000 had a reproducible engine controller defect that caused full-throttle like acceleration with no driver input.
- The official narrative blamed drivers, but the engineering annex documented the controller fault.