Braking

[boy soldier]

I am driving along the motorway at 70 using my cruise control. I get a health problem and my passenger is unable to reach any of the controls except the button for the handbrake. On selecting the said button will the car lock the brakes or will it be programmed to slow down and stop.

[furtula]

I dont think it will help much if your leg presses the gas pedal when this happens, which also might happen.

Your passenger can try to:

1. Disengage cruise control and steer the car off the road, and then try to stop it with parking brake.

2. Try to get the car out of gear, engage the break and slow to a stop.

 

 

 

[boy soldier]

By putting the car into neutral will help but as soon as you select the brake button the brakes are applied and at speed this could cause a serious problem as the brakes are locked on 

[furtula]

You can always coast to a stop, if it's a mottorway.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Why not ask the question of Toyota, rather than rely on TOC members surmising.

[Heidfirst]

10 hours ago, boy soldier said:

By putting the car into neutral will help but as soon as you select the brake button the brakes are applied and at speed this could cause a serious problem as the brakes are locked on 

Hmm, you seemed to have asked the question & then offered an answer yourself ...

First, you actually need to hold down the EPB button for several seconds if the car is moving before it activates - a single short press will have no effect.

Second, it only operates on the rear discs which usually only do the minority of braking effort. With only the rears in operation I imagine that you aren't going to come to a crash stop - if you were going around a bend at the time it could be interesting though ...