In the 1980s Audi was almost bankrupted by media frenzy about ‘sudden acceleration’. By the time 60 Minutes and other news outlets sheepishly admitted the truth—that the condition didn’t actually exist and that the fault was with the drivers, not the cars—it was almost too late. It took two decades for Audi’s sales to recover to pre-fiasco levels.

Is history repeating? The current uproar really got started when an off-duty police officer, driving a loaned Lexus ES350, crashed, killing himself and the other three people on board. Minutes before this tragic event, someone in the car called 911, saying that the “accelerator is stuck…there’s no brake.”

This struck me as very odd: there aren’t any production cars that have engines so powerful they can overcome standing on the brakes—especially a V6 sedan with 268hp. So when I got the new issue of Car and Driver I read with interest their take. They tested three different vehicles, including the ES350’s twin, the Camry, and found that, from 70mph, with the accelerator pinned, stopping distances increased 16 feet (which is still shorter than many other cars, trucks, or SUVs under normal conditions. They also confirmed that you can indeed shift the ‘out of control’ vehicle into neutral or park (which doesn’t actually hurt the automatic transmission, despite the horrid noise it might make) to rein things in.

Now, I’m not trying to either a) denigrate the dead; or b) absolve Toyota of all responsibility. I just want to point out that there’s more to this issue than the sound bites the media loves to pump out. Toyota could have included some more thoughtfully designed software in the electronic throttle to cut power when the brakes were applied, as other manufacturers do, for instance.

They’ve taken the brave step (to me at least) of halting production of a bunch of incredibly popular models, to make sure things are copacetic. And they’re spending roughly $250 million to recall over 4.3 million vehicles to reshape gas pedals that can be fouled by floormats—most of which, by the way, appear to be aftermarket products put on top of those supplied by the factory, not the original equipment ones.

If you’re driving one of the affected Toyota or Lexus models, should you panic? I don’t think so. If you have indeed stacked up floormats two-deep, take one set out, and use only the factory ones until you’ve had your accelerator pedal fixed under the recall. And if you do find yourself in a situation where the car seems to be possessed, remember that the brakes will stop it, and that you can always put the transmission in neutral or park.

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