Modern cars have very advanced systems. Charles Krauthammer has an article on the “Price of Modernity” which goes into the risks of modern systems.

Braking systems used to be simple. When you press on the brake, it compresses the brake fluid which forces the brake calipers to close. The calipers press the brake pads against a rotor. Friction stops the car. Ah…those were the days.

Back in the 90′s, we moved away from simple brakes to anti-lock brakes. Your car no monitors your speed and the rotation of your wheels. If you are moving and the wheels stop, the car automatically releases the brakes for a moment…just enough to keep them rolling. This advanced feature allows even a new driver to stop on slippery services with far less danger of losing control

Today, we have even more complications. Hybrids recapture the energy lost in braking and direct it back to the battery. These complexities all have benefits, but can have downsides as well. We need to tread very carefully in the case against Toyota. We could severely damage our ability to bring new ideas to market if the penalties against Toyota are too severe. We  already have a court damaged domestic supply chain for vaccines. We don’t want to hurt our domestic auto companies any more than they have already hurt themselves.

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