Organisation: Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)
Date of Publication: June 2023
Uploaded to Knowledge Centre: 11 October 2023
Pedal misapplication is when a driver applies the wrong pedal of a vehicle, for example: accelerating instead of braking. When followed by the inability to regain control this can result in collisions, causing damage to vehicles and infrastructure, and potentially fatal injury.
Current figures of pedal misapplication occurrences are potentially underestimated as they depend heavily on driver statements, which are often unreliable. As a result, investigators are reliant on other data sources such as camera footage and examining the vehicle controls to determine the cause of the collision. This study examined the characteristics of collisions related to pedal misapplication.
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