When cruise system fails and speed touches 220 kph...

DAMMAM: A major tragedy was averted on the Riyadh-Taif road when the cruise control system of a car developed a malfunction and the vehicle started moving uncontrollably at 220 kilometers per hour.
Fortunately, Abdul Majeed Al-Otaibi, a Saudi citizen who was behind the wheel, showed presence of mind and contacted the highway patrol after his efforts to slow down the vehicle failed.
Al-Otaibi said: “I was heading from Riyadh to Taif in a Hyundai Elantra 2015 when I enabled the cruise control system and set a speed limit. However, I was shocked to find that the speed went on increasing. I tried to switch off the system and used the brakes, but all in vain.”
He quickly contacted the security patrol, which swung into action and cleared the road and guided him to disable the system. He thanked the patrol team for their great efforts in saving his life and that of other motorists.
Al-Otaibi urged all the manufacturers to find solutions such as installing an emergency key in vehicles to help in disconnecting gas, electricity or the engine.
Such incidents have happened in the past also. A Saudi man had once lost control over his car when the cruise control system locked at 180 kph on the Qassim highway.
He was heading from Riyadh to Qassim in the middle of the night when the system failed. Highway patrol escorted the vehicle and cleared the road and two checkpoints.
The truck finally stopped when it ran out of petrol.
Before that, a car’s cruise system had got stuck at 200 kph.
The driver called the highway patrol when his brakes did not work. Similar action was taken by the patrol team and the car stopped after running out of petrol.