This is how one automaker's fiasco potentially becomes a problem for the entire industry, and for everyday drivers. There's no proof electronic throttle control, or ETC, has caused any of Toyota's problems. Even if something went wrong with Toyota's ETC, the technology has been in widespread use by other automakers for more than a decade.

"Electronic throttle control has become an integral part of a vehicle's safety systems," said Duane Spytman, director of the master's degree course in product development at the University of Detroit Mercy's College of Engineering and Science.

"It's helped create a system-level solution to questions of fuel economy and safety."

ETC replaces mechanical parts — including the accelerator pedal, throttle and the linkage between them — with fast-acting and precisely controlled electronic components.

"It's very sophisticated," said Harold Schock, professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan State University. "All kinds of parameters are adjusted to get the most performance and efficiency out of an engine."

Stepping on the accelerator pedal does much more than send more fuel and air to the engine, Schock said. ETC is a core part of a network that connects the engine with the brakes, transmission and other systems, improving the fuel economy, reliability and safety of millions of vehicles.

It's among the suspected causes of Toyota's recalls, though, and that could make drivers suspicious of the vehicles that use it.

Imagine you'd never heard of antilock brakes before the U.S. and Japanese governments began investigating them as a possible cause of Toyota's Prius crashes. The antilock brakes, or ABS, use electronics to override your foot's input on the brake pedal. Would you want it in your next car?

Maybe not, but ABS has turned out to be the greatest automotive safety feature since the air bag. It saves lives and prevents injuries daily.

Fortunately, ABS didn't come into the crosshairs until the system was widely known, trusted and a legally required safety feature in new cars.

Electronic throttle control is nearly as common as ABS. It's proven to be safe, and it's vital to how modern vehicles operate. Vehicles ranging from the sporty Mini Cooper, to the Ford Fusion midsize sedan, Chevrolet Equinox crossover and Dodge Ram pickup feature ETC. It's ubiquitous in luxury vehicles.

ETC is widespread, but not well known.

It improves fuel economy and makes cruise control smoother and more efficient. It also enables safety systems like stability control, which reduces engine power when a car begins to slide.

ETC is key to meeting upcoming fuel-economy and emissions standards by optimizing engine operation. The technology has an unblemished safety record, thanks to years of rigorous testing by automakers and suppliers.

Like other advanced electronic controls, ETC operates so seamlessly the driver never notices it.

People began to notice this week, but they shouldn't worry.

"Electronic throttle control is one of the systems that have made driving safer for everybody," UDM's Spytman said.