Mistake the gas pedal for the brake??
No, not me!!
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has actually conducted a study of as pedal accidents and the conclusion? Two age groups top the list of most likely to mistake the two: Over age 76 and under age 20. And which sex is most likely to get confused on this issue? Women comprise two thirds of this group which is surprising given that about 60% of drivers in car accidents are males.
Why these two age groups? The scientists involved in this study of 2500 gas pedal accidents postulate that the teen brain is not yet fully mature and so certain functions are not completely consistent. The older driver, they say, lacks the attention, organizing and planning skills needed to adjust quickly to certain situations.
Given our aging population, an increase in senior-citizen drivers is a reality. The NHTSA suggested they would start ranking cars based on features able to aid senior-citizen in the driving task. The new “silver-car” rating system will be designed to help senior-citizen choose the right car. The NHTSA main focus will be the evaluation of systems to prevent the use of the wrong pedals at lower speeds, along with evaluation of how well a car protects pedestrians in case of low speed crashes.
Fortunately, most of these accidents occur in parking lots or driveways and incur no injuries. But every so often we hear about incidents, usually involving older drivers, where a car goes through a restaurant or crowd. Mistaking these two pedals can prove to be a deadly mistake, and special attention should always be given when starting or stopping.
These potential new guidelines from the NHTSA would not only help senior-citizens be safer, but will also benefit the rest of us.
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This blog posting is brought to you by WirelessDefensiveDriving.com, The Texas Defensive Driving Online Course.
www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811597.pdf
