Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin dead in accident

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the tragic accident involving actor Anton Yelchin, who died when his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled down his driveway. Participants explore the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the vehicle's recall related to its shifter design and the implications of driver behavior in such accidents.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express sadness over Yelchin's death, noting the unusual nature of the accident and the vehicle's involvement in a recall related to shifter issues.
  • Others argue that the recall highlights driver error rather than a malfunction of the vehicle, suggesting that the problem lies in drivers not paying attention or failing to engage the parking brake.
  • A participant reflects on the shift from the shifter design in earlier models to a more traditional design in 2016, suggesting that the change was a response to user difficulties.
  • One participant shares a personal anecdote comparing the learning curve of using a joystick for driving a scissor lift to the challenges of adapting to the Jeep's shifter, emphasizing the need for practice and adjustment.
  • Another participant notes the preventability of the accident, mentioning that many people may have experienced similar situations where they exited a running vehicle without applying the brake.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of agreement on the tragedy of the incident but disagree on the primary cause, with some attributing it to driver error and others to the vehicle's design. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of the shifter design and driver responsibility.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference the specifics of the vehicle recall and the nature of the shifter design, indicating that there are unresolved aspects regarding user experience and safety features. There is also a mention of the slope of the driveway, which may have contributed to the incident.

nsaspook
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http://jalopnik.com/anton-yelchins-jeep-was-included-in-rollaway-recall-lin-1782277820
Yelchin, 27, died in an unusual and horrifying incident early Sunday morning when his SUV—a Jeep Grand Cherokee—was left in neutral and apparently rolled down his driveway when he was outside of it, crushing him into a mailbox.

At the time it wasn’t clear whether Yelchin’s car was a 2014 or 2015 Grand Cherokee—the two model years covered by Fiat Chrysler’s voluntary shifter recall. But this morning, LAPD officials confirmed to Jalopnik that Yelchin’s SUV was a 2015 Grand Cherokee, meaning it was among the vehicles covered by Fiat Chrysler’s shifter recall from April.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM497024/INOA-EA16002-6630.PDF
 
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Sad, but according to the recall, the problem is with the drivers not paying attention, not placing the car in park, and then also disregarding the warning sound when they open the driver's door, it's not a problem with the car malfunctioning. Personally, I would hate a shifter like that.

So young, what a tragedy.
 
Evo said:
Personally, I would hate a shifter like that.

So young, what a tragedy.

I think most people did causing them to go back to a traditional position shifter in 2016. Yes, a tragedy and a unintended consequence of change.
 
Very sad and preventible but I'm sure that most everyone has been guilty of getting out of a running car without applying the parking brake. When I saw the slope of the driveway though, I couldn't imagine getting out of the car there without firmly applying the brake first - or turning off the engine and applying the brake.

Ironically, it reminds me of the scene from the first reboot where Sulu forgets to disengage the "parking brake". Better to be embarrassed that to have your vehicle move on its own.
 
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Evo said:
Personally, I would hate a shifter like that.
I can imagine that it takes some getting used to. It's like when I had to learn how to drive a scissor lift. It used a joy stick. Push forward to go forward, pull back to go rearwards, push left or right to turn the wheels. However, returning the stick to center did not straighten out the wheels. Push left and the wheels turned left, return to center and the wheels stayed turned left. To straighten the wheels back out, you would have to push right on the stick until the wheels faced straight and then return the stick to center again. Steering it was a series of nudging the stick left and right. (It didn't help that you couldn't even see the wheels unless you leaned over the rail and looked straight down, but if you did that all the time you weren't looking at where you were driving.) You got used to it after a while, but it did take practice.