With the technology getting advanced each day and cars becoming safer, we present to you a small and important technology article from Car Blog India series of Technology Articles
In this article I will tell you what is brake override and how it works? Also I will tell you what is the need of Brake Override.
What is Brake Override ?
With cars getting more and more sensors and microprocessors, it is possible to save the passengers from fatal car accidents by using innovative technologies. Brake Override is one such technology which can be a life-saver in case of a stuck throttle. Imagine that due to some reason (god-forbid), if the gas pedal / accelerator of your car gets stuck and its pressed hard, in that case even if you apply brakes really hard, the car won’t come to a stop so easy because the brakes are not fully effective if the throttle is revving the engine high. This can be a vary fatal situation and can cause deadly accidents.
Brake override is an intelligent system which overrides the throttle press and even if the gas pedal / accelerator pedal is fully pressed and you hit the brakes hard, it will bring the engine revs down by releasing the throttle intelligently even if the gas pedal is fully pressed. This ensures that when the brake is press, the engine will lower its RPM and help the car to come to a stop as it normally would if the throttle is not stuck. This technology can save many lives even if this possibility of gas pedal getting stuck is not very high.
We have recently heard and read about some of the mishaps because of unintended acceleration in some faulty cars. Had these cars been equipped with this safety feature, these accidents could not have happened as brakes could have been fully effective.
How Brake Override System Works ?
Well, not going into deep technicalities as there can be more than one ways of making it work, I will just tell you an overview of how Brake Override works. Cars have sensors to determine how much the gas pedal has been depressed, these sensors are a part of MPFI system. Also cars have sensors to determine how hard brakes have been pressed, these sensors are a part of ABS and EBD system. To make brake override work, this information can be used together. When brake is pressed, this information can be used to alert the MPFI system to rev down the car as the brake is depressed and engine should not rev high. I will not go in more details to bore you with technical jargons.
What is the Need Of Brake Override ?
Brake override system can help save lives in rare cases of gas pedal getting stuck. Even though these cases maybe rare, but the value of human life is precious so its makes sense to have this safety feature. Also in another case, if some driver hits brake in panic and his feet get stuck due to panic situation in such way that his feet is on both gas / accelerator pedal and brakes, in that case also this technology can prove to be a life saver.
Brake Override Demonstration Video
Below is a video by BMW demonstrating brake override system in one of their cars:
I am totally impressed by this feature and would love to have a care with this safety feature in it. Although some drag racing and motor sports enthusiasts may not like this to be in their cars, but for normal passengers, Brake Override is a life saver.
