# Presentation: 388149

##   Santa Monica, California,

-   Santa Monica, California,
- Vehicle Intrusion into Farmers’ Market            July 16, 2003

## Slide 2

## Slide 3

## Slide 4

## Courtesy: San Diego Union-Tribune / AP

## Santa Monica Accident

- 10 fatalities
- 63 minor to serious injuries
- Buick driver and Mercedes driver and passenger uninjured
- No problems with weather, fatigue, alcohol, or drug use by driver
- No mechanical problems with vehicle

## Issues

- Unintended acceleration
- Temporary traffic control measures
- Event data recorders

## Santa Monica, California, Farmers’ Market

- Courtesy: San Diego Union-Tribune / AP

## Human Performance Issues

## Driver Information

- 86-year-old male
- Long-term resident of area
- Familiar with Farmers’ Market
- Owned vehicle for over 10 years
- Valid California license at time of accident

## Potential Factors

- Driver’s age
- Driver’s known medical conditions
- Vehicle controls
- Unintended acceleration

## Driver’s Age

- 86 years old
- Physical and cognitive changes associated with age
- No evidence of cognitive deficits
- No in-depth interview with driver

## Known Medical Conditions

- Some impaired mobility but no link to driving ability or accidents
- Postaccident diagnosis of a heart condition
- No reported loss of consciousness
- Driver aware of market and took action
- No illicit or prescription performance-impairing substances detected

## Vehicle Controls

- Horizontal separation of 2 inches between accelerator and brake; minimum of 2 inches recommended
- No defect investigations or recalls related to pedal placement

## Slide 15

## Vehicle Controls

- Concern is dual activation
- Not supported by evidence
- No brake light illumination
- Significant acceleration and no retarding force

## Unintended Acceleration

- Vehicle accelerates suddenly for no apparent reason with seeming loss of braking
- No common mechanical defect
- Found to be driver-related
- Cognitive issue, not physical one
- Can happen to anyone

## Components of Unintended Acceleration

- Inadvertent activation
- Usually meant to press brake
- Due to position, force, speed, and so forth
- Failure to detect the error
- Panic/hypervigilance
- Habitual response
- Driver is certain correct control activated; error magnifies, increasing stress

## Unintended Acceleration in This Accident

- Mercedes violated Buick driver’s expectations
- Buick driver’s rapid, forceful movement to brake resulted in execution error
- Stress increased
- Did not detect he was on accelerator
- Resorted to habitual response
- Witnesses report racing and revving engine

## Highway Issues

## Highway Issues

- Temporary traffic control plan for Farmers’ Market
- Pedestrian protection in Farmers’ Market
- Guidance for temporary road closures

## Temporary Traffic ControlPlan

- Developed in 1981
- Updated in 1986
- Did not conform to MUTCD, Caltrans Traffic Manual, or Santa Monica’s WATCH manual

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## Type III Barricade

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## Rigid Barrier Systems

- Additional signs and Type III barricades would not have prevented accident
- Separating pedestrians from vehicular traffic is key
- Market operated on regular basis since 1981
- Rigid but removable barrier system possible

## Bollards

- Thick, low vertical post to exclude or divert motor vehicles

## MUTCD Guidance

- Guidance to protect pedestrians in temporary traffic control areas
- Work zone emphasis
- Applicability to other street closures

## Event Data Recorders

## 1992 Buick LeSabre

## Additional Data from Event Data Recorder

- Driver’s actions
- As he left the post office
- Regarding Mercedes collision
- While traversing market
- How the vehicle was brought to a stop

## Electronic Data Recorders

- Manufacturers installing
- No standards
- Vary among manufacturers

## NTSB EDR History

- Issued six recommendations
- Hosted four forums on use of data recorders
- Participated in working groups to advance event data recording

## Society of Automotive Engineers
70 data elements
Standard format for displaying data
Addressing data collection
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Standard for Motor Vehicle EDRs
Fault codes

- Society of Automotive Engineers
- 70 data elements
- Standard format for displaying data
- Addressing data collection
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- Standard for Motor Vehicle EDRs
- Fault codes

## NHTSA EDR Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

- Aid in investigation of crashes and injuries
- Assist to better define and address safety problems
- Improve safety systems and standards
- No requirement for installation or use

## NHTSA EDR Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

- Data elements
- Data format
- Survivability
- Publicly available to crash investigators
- Standard statement in owner’s manual
- Applicable to voluntarily installed EDRs
- No requirement for EDR installation

## EDR Benefits

- Prompt and impartial data
- Accurate data
- Improved vehicle design and occupant protection
- Emergency response and triage
- Vehicle and roadway design improvements