- See our forum topic Toyota Turmoil News!, a fiasco from 2009-2015, Which included these topics:
- From 2009 Will Toyota encounter a press created Audi 5000 type fiasco?
- as NHTSA messed up the investigation and information,
However,
Years later they finally they properly concluded:
- as NHTSA messed up the investigation and information,
Which included this description:
- Earlier today a TRL research team including Karthikeyan Ekambaram, Bethany Frox, Niamh Bull (MSc, BSc), Emma Lyndon and Hannah Wright presented their report on pedal misapplication in relation to vehicle collisions.
Previous research found that pedal misapplication can occur throughout the entire driving cycle and can impact all drivers. However, certain risk factors were identified, including; old age, cognitive impairment, small stepover pedal configuration, incorrect foot positioning, hesitant braking, short stature and smaller shoe size. The review also presented countermeasures, including technologies that are available in the market, which have the potential to mitigate collisions caused by pedal misapplication.
Executive Summary
- This study examined the characteristics of collisions related to pedal misapplication. Specific goals were to examine the role of the driver, vehicle, roadway, and environmental characteristics; and the extent of injury severities caused by these errors.
A systematic literature review was performed to explore the topic of pedal misapplication. Eighteen academic papers and ten related media articles were identified through a systematic selection process for review. Previous research has demonstrated that pedal misapplication occurs not only during initial start-up and low-speed parking manoeuvres, but also throughout the entire driving cycle. Pedal misapplication occurs across all driver
groups; however, previous studies have associated pedal misapplication collisions with certain risk factors such as old age, cognitive impairment, small stepover pedal configuration, incorrect foot positioning, hesitant braking, short stature, smaller shoe size and possibly being female. The review has also presented countermeasures, including technologies that are available in the market, which have the potential to mitigate collisions caused by pedal misapplication.
Real-world collision data from the Road Accident In-Depth Studies (RAIDS) database between 2012 and 2023 were interrogated to identify pedal misapplication related collisions for further analysis. RAIDS is the UK’s in-depth collision data collection programme, designed to create an evidence base to support improved road safety. The development of appropriate and cost-effective policies, technologies and solutions to prevent future loss of life and injury in road traffic collisions depend entirely on reliable data at the required level of detail to provide a deep understanding of road collisions (vehicle, user and environment) and the mechanisms which result in road collisions and injuries.
RAIDS investigations differ from those of the police because they are designed to understand all factors influencing a collision and its outcome rather than necessarily determine responsibility. Typically, the team will investigate around 200 cases per year; these are a mix of investigations carried out at the live collision scene and retrospective investigations based on vehicle examinations and analysis of police collision reports. This information is held in a single comprehensive database which provides an invaluable evidence-based research tool which is used extensively in road safety improvement programmes, medical research, vehicle standards and design. Since the start of RAIDS, over 125 research studies have utilised the RAIDS database for research projects.
Within this study, analysis of the relevant 43 pedal misapplication RAIDS cases showed that most of those collisions were caused by the driver accelerating instead of applying brakes. From the collision sample, a higher proportion of crashes related to pedal misapplication occurred on smaller, lower-class carriageways or private parking spaces with lower speed limits compared to other crashes. The majority of the RAIDS pedal misapplications (about 49%) occurred at the initial start-up of the vehicle. Manoeuvring (mostly related to parking) and cornering were the most coded collision types within the pedal misapplication sample.
Within the sample, elderly drivers and female drivers were more often involved in a pedal misapplication related crash. The most common impairment-related contributing factors in pedal misapplication crashes were driver distraction and illness. Analysis of RAIDS data shows that the consequences of pedal misapplication crashes are relatively not severe compared to all crashes in the RAIDS database, mainly due to the low initial velocity in most of the pedal misapplication cases.
Within the RAIDS database, vehicles fitted with automatic transmissions are more frequently associated with pedal misapplication cases. Only 3 of the RAIDS pedal misapplication case were hybrid/electric vehicles. However, it is important to consider the predicted rapid uptake of electric vehicles, as those vehicles are mostly fitted with an automatic transmission and typically able to accelerate much faster than the conventional internal combustion engine. This could lead to an increase in pedal misapplication collision, potentially of increasing severity, as the popularity of these vehicles increases.
This study findings provided useful insights about crash characteristics and contributory factors of collisions related to pedal misapplication. Crash mitigation systems are growing in popularity amongst vehicle manufacturers. Encouraging the manufacturers to develop and fit a system that can detect and mitigate pedal misapplication related collisions can be beneficial. This can be achieved through rewarding points in consumer test programmes such as Euro NCAP or through relevant standards that make the fitment of such systems mandator