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Re: Happens in all cars.... Posted by Snowmobile [Email]  (#686)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Snowmobile) on Fri, 2 May 2014 08:30:40
In Reply to: Happens in all cars...., Mike Lynch  [Profile/Gallery]
, Thu, 1 May 2014 18:33:06
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While I think we live in an overly litigious society and I feel that people need to learn to deal with the ignition turning off in drivers ed... to me, this is an engineering issue and must be looked at from the perspective of an engineer. If I design a screwdriver that snaps off when someone uses it to pry and sticks the guy in the eye, I have not done my job. A classic case of engineering ethics: it is important to consider the full range of reasonable possible use and design a tool to safely satisfy that range (screwdriver doesn't have to be good at prying - it can bend, just not shatter!). In this case, it sounds like the engineer did just that. They identified a potential issue and submitted a method of resolution which was rejected by somebody at GM (probably a beancounter). The folks who rejected the proper engineering solution should rightly be (as they say) up $#it Creek!
This situation is one of the reasons that every engineer in training here has to write an exam on law and ethics before they can practice... and why the iron ring exists... there are weasels in business who will do whatever it takes to fatten their wallet even if it is unsafe, and the general population has very little knowledge of engineering, or at least would think too much about some of these consequences in day to day life... engineers need to look out for that! Other professions have similar law and ethics components.
So drivers should be able to handle this (shift to N, restart, shift back into gear - all without taking eyes off the road)... but nonetheless, the engineer did the right thing, and GM did not. It would be less of a problem without the airbag dysfunction... Someone was killed locally due to this... the family only realized 18 months later when the letter arrived in the mail from GM! They had no idea prior why the airbag didn't fire!
->Posting last edited on Fri, 2 May 2014 08:44:05.
, Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:33:46, Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:38:46, Thu, 1 May 2014 18:33:06
, Fri, 2 May 2014 10:27:50, Sun, 4 May 2014 04:19:34, Fri, 2 May 2014 10:29:26, Sat, 3 May 2014 09:17:58, Sun, 4 May 2014 03:46:27, Fri, 2 May 2014 08:30:40 <-- Viewing This Message, Fri, 2 May 2014 14:18:24, Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:38:20, Tue, 6 May 2014 13:04:53
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