NHTSA Safety Advisory Targets “Pedal Error”

Drivers accidentally stepping on the accelerator pedal cause about 16,000 accidents per year in the U.S., according to a study commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Results have prompted the agency to release a safety advisory to alert consumers about the problem.

The advisory follows a NHTSA refusal a month ago to investigate unintended acceleration in 2006-2010 model Toyota Corolla. The agency determined pedal error was the cause in incidents described in the complaint and 16 others.

Pedal errors can happen when a driver's foot slides off the brake pedal and onto the accelerator, hits the brake instead of the accelerator or presses both pedals simultaneously. Most such mistakes happen at very low speeds, such as during parking maneuvers, according to NHTSA.

The report says drivers under the age of 20 or over the age of 65 are most prone to pedal errors. Those groups have pedal-error crash rates about four times those of other drivers.

To prevent such incidents, NHTSA urges drivers to familiarize themselves with pedal locations when driving a new vehicle and to adjusting a vehicle's seats, mirrors, steering wheel and, if possible, pedals to match their size and comfort preferences. The agency also suggests drivers avoid wearing flip-flops, heavy boots or high heels. Finally, it advises avoiding distractions and aiming for the center of the brake pedal when applying it.

Pedal errors are typically the cause of unintended acceleration events, according to NHTSA. It notes that various field investigations conducted over the past five years have determined that drivers who believed they were applying the brakes were often mistakenly stepping on the accelerator.

The agency says it has not identified a single case in which a vehicle's throttle and braking systems malfunctioned at the same time to cause sudden acceleration. Carmakers point out that a properly functioning brake system can stop a car even if its engine is stuck at full throttle.