Any car manufactured nowadays has a DME which controls the fuel injectors, the spark timing, and the air/fuel mixture though a number of sensors. Even NASCAR is finally giving up on carburetors. There aren't many people opposed to those systems, but the worst that could happen is that the engine would simply stop running or it would start working poorly.
There has been a general reluctance to make some of the critical control logic electronic instead of mechanical, such as steering, braking, and throttle control. But ABS brake systems are now prevalent, and they are computer-controlled. But the main control is still hydraulic so even if the electronic ABS system completely fails the car will still be capable of braking.
Modern airplanes and helicopters have been fly-by-wire for quite some time now, sometimes with disastrous results.
Back in the 80s, Blackhawk helicopters were repeatedly crashing and killing soldiers when they were flown near radio towers, microwave towers, and radars. The Navy version didn't have that problem because they paid a bit extra to provide sufficient insulation around the critical wires when the problem first appeared during testing. But for some odd reason, the Army versions were not modified for quite some time with disastrous results.
A bug was found in the F-16 avionics that would have caused it to flip upside down when it crossed the equator. But the bug was found during testing.
Recently an
F-22 Raptor lost much of its computer systems when it flew west across the International Date line. Fortunately, it was near a tanker at the time so the pilot simply flew alongside back to a landing strip.
People are still forbidden to use electronics in commercial jets during critical times in fear that a cell phone or a personal computer might cause interference of a critical system. That always struck me as goofy logic. If it isn't safe during takeoffs and landings, why is it safe at other times? If the airplane mysteriously goes out of control, do they rush into the passenger compartment and ensure everybody turns off their PCs?
As a software developer, I certainly have mixed feelings about even working on such critical systems, much less driving a vehicle on the highway which uses them. But I guess it is inevitable. Some cars are already appearing which mimic some of the features these cars can provide, albieit with mechanical linkages. They can now parallel park themselves.
And steer-by-wire is already appearing in forklifts and some tractors.
These systems are certainly subject to sabotage, inadvertent interference, or bugs that do not come up while undergoing testing. Sudden vehicle acceleration may actually become a reality in the future instead of people hitting the wrong pedal.
