A few decades ago, aircraft designers began implementing new control systems that make flight safer and give pilots more control over their planes.
These systems were nicknamed "fly-by-wire" because they remove the direct link between the pilot's hands and feet and the speed and orientation of the plane.
More recently, systems like these have been adapted for automobiles.
Although they have proven quite safe, failure of drive-by-wire systems can lead to collisions and death.
Drive-by-wire systems take in data about the driver's intentions and communicate that information to a computer.
The computer, working extremely quickly, then compares the driver's intentions to the internal state of the vehicle's components.
Anti-lock brakes are a similar concept, applying the brakes as needed when the driver presses the brake pedal.
By taking all of that into consideration, drive-by-wire can keep the vehicle under control better.
Depending on the year, make, and model of any given vehicle, drive-by-wire systems can vary in complexity and sophistication.
Accelerator pedals were one of the first automobile components to change to a computer-based system.
The computer measures the pedal's position and then opens the engine's throttle accordingly.
If something along the line between the accelerator pedal and the throttle is interrupted or broken, disaster could follow.
The Toyota sudden acceleration controversy of late 2009 and early 2010 has put the Japanese automaker under a great deal of scrutiny.
They aren't the only automaker whose vehicles experience sudden acceleration, but their case is severe enough that future car designs may be able to prevent what some of Toyota's customers have gone through.