How Ordinary Drivers
Operate Foot Pedals
Kazumitsu Shinohara(School of Human Sciences, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University)
Takahiko Kimura(Faculty of Health and Welfare, Kansai University of Welfare Sciences)

Overview• Description• Clarify how ordinary drivers actually operate foot pedals• Examine the relationship between pedal operation and pedal misapplication
experience• Results• Accelerator operation: Women keep their foot facing “straight” forward, while about
half of the men have their foot “inclined” and the other half keep their foot facing“straight” forward. Many women keep their heel off the floor.
• Brake operation: Many people keep their foot facing “straight” forward, but many
middle-aged men have their foot “inclined.” About half of the middle-aged men keep
their heel on the floor, while the other half keep their heel off the floor. Other than
middle-aged men, many people keep their heel on the floor.
• There are also age and gender differences in pedal switching operation.
• Although the relationship between pedal operation and pedal misapplication is notclear, there is a possibility that keeping the heel on the floor or off the floor may berelevant.

2

Objectives
To examine how ordinary drivers actually operate theaccelerator pedal and brake pedal.
• To study age and gender differences• To examine the relationship between pedal operation andpedal misapplication experience.

3

Survey Subjects• Subjects: 500 people (about 90% of whom drive routinely)
Age

Driving experience

AverageSD

AverageSD

Middle-aged men

53.34

5.33

33.632

5.95

Middle-aged women

52.32

5.51

30.584

6.14

Older men

69.30

4.00

46.608

6.63

Older women

67.90

3.06

38.736

8.67

Total

60.71

9.14

37.39

9.20
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Survey Method• Method: Web survey• Only people who use only their right foot were surveyed• Questions:• Method of operating the accelerator pedal• Method of operating the brake pedal
Description• Foot direction / heel positionof matters• Method of switching pedals
posted on• From the accelerator to the brake / from the brake to the accelerator this material• Questions about experiences of falling down (older people only)• Questions about the experiencing errors (questionnaire on error tendencies)• Whether the driver experienced pedal misapplication
Assumed to driving situation:
Situation of driving slowly in narrow roads and parking lots in residential areas.
Subjects were first asked to recall a scene in which they were driving.

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Accelerator Operation Method
Brake

Accelerator

Front

Brake

Accelerator

Right

Stepping on the pedal with the footfacing straight forward

Stepping on the pedal with the footinclined to the right6

How Drivers Use Their Foot in
Operating the Accelerator Pedal
Brake

Accelerator
Front

Accelerator

Brake

Right123

4 NeitherMiddle-aged men

3128 59 59 41

187

Middle-agedwomen

47383325

Older men

3627 63 60 48

122

Older women

71312385 35102 20

18

Women keep their foot facing “straight” forward, while about half of the men havetheir foot “inclined” and the other half keep their foot facing “straight” forward.

Χ2(3)=41.53, p<.017

Position of the Heel When Operating
the Accelerator Pedal
Middle-aged men
Middle-aged women
Older men
Older women
Total

On the floor
119104122106451

Off the floor
62131949
Χ2(3)=22.33, p<.01Many women keep their heel off the floor when
operating the accelerator.
8Brake Operation Method
Brake
Brake

Accelerator

Accelerator

Front

Left

Stepping on the pedal with the footinclined to the left

Stepping on the pedal with the footfacing straight forward

9How Drivers Use Their Foot in
Operating the Brake Pedal
Brake

Brake
Front

Accelerator

Accelerator

Left

12

34 Neither

Middle-aged men

1631 47 74 45

29

4

Middle-agedwomen

10295128

7

Older men

1118 29 95 67

28

1

Older women

121935

139 7931 93

58

Most men and women step on the brake pedal with their foot facing straightforward, but slightly more middle-aged people have their foot inclined.

Χ2(3)=9.10, p<.05
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Position of the Heel When Operating
the Brake Pedal
Middle-aged men
Middle-aged women
Older men
Older women
Total

On the floor
59727084285

Off the floor
66
53
55
41215
Χ2(3)=10.27, p<.05

About half of the middle-aged men keep their heel on the floor,
while the other half keep their heel off the floor. Other than
middle-aged men, many people keep their heel on the floor.
This is particularly noticeable among older women.

11Operation Patterns• Middle-aged men[Brake][Accelerator]
Brake

Accelerator
Front

Brake

Accelerator
Right

Column label

123417027162310231

3121620 27
15 39 32 17145493865Total

312841185Total

329447125

Operation Patterns• Middle-aged men[Brake]
Brake
Left

Brake
Front

[Accelerator]
Brake

Accelerator
Front

Brake

Column label

123

Accelerator

17212317Accelerator

318829 917 42 25 14416

153Total

31

Accelerator
Right45Total
161131145

9229

11242841

7125

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Operation Patterns• Middle-aged men[Brake]
Brake
Left

Brake
Front

[Accelerator]
Brake

Accelerator
Front

Brake

3Accelerator
Right

Column label

12Accelerator

1731162442

31

Accelerator

312818 1119 45 49 35

14541318545Total

312841185Total

129147125Operation Patterns• Middle-aged men[Brake]
Brake
Left

Brake
Front

[Accelerator]
Brake

Accelerator
Front

Brake

Accelerator
Right

Column label

1234Accelerator

1120002690Accelerator

327

327 319 75 17 12426

323312841

18Total16

105Total

53145

129

147125Operation Patterns

More men (than women) step onboth pedals with their foot inclined.

Middle-agedmenMiddle-aged
women20273932

29

942

25

Older men

18

1145

49

Older women

27

375

17Total

9450

201

123

There is a difference between older men and older womenconcerning how they step on the accelerator pedal.

Χ2(9)=60.33, p<.01
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Operation Patterns and Heel Position

Total

Accelerator

BrakeAccelerator

Brake

Accelerator

Brake

Accelerator

Brake〇

〇〇

××〇

××38

111277570555

2431210881323278

173

742

Whether the heel is on the floor depends on the operation pattern.

17Fisher accuracy test, p <.01
Note: Analyzed with the “accelerator × brake 〇”pattern excluded.

Questions Using Videos

Middle-aged men
Middle-aged women
Older men

Older women
Total• Stepping on the brake pedal by leaning the foottoward the brake without moving the heel from astate in which the foot is in the upright position
when stepping on the accelerator pedal

Yes
61
57
66
54
238

No
64
68
59
71
262

Χ2(3)=2.60, n.s.

Slightly more people replied “no”
regardless of age and gender.
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Questions Using Videos

Middle-aged men
Middle-aged women
Older men

Older women
Total• Stepping on the brake with the foot in the uprightposition moved toward the brake pedal without
moving the heel from a state in which the foot is
inclined toward the right when stepping on theaccelerator pedal

Yes
52
45
58
41
196

No
73
80
67
84
304

Χ2(3)=5.71, n.s.

In general, there are many people who replied“no,” but this tendency is stronger among women.
19Questions Using Videos

Middle-aged men
Middle-aged women
Older men

Older women
Total• Stepping on the brake with the foot in the uprightposition by moving the heel from a state in which
the foot is in the upright position when steppingon the accelerator pedal

Yes
63
87
75
84309

No
62
38
50
41
191

Χ2(3)=11.82, p<.01
About half of the middle-aged men replied “yes,”
while the other half replied “no,” but significantly
more women replied “yes.” This tendency increasesamong older men.
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Experience in Pedal Misapplication
Have such
experience

Have experience of almost
committing pedal
misapplication

Have noRatio of those who havesuch
experience
experience

Middle-aged men

414107

14.4%

Middle-aged women

11159920.8%

Older men

41210912.8%

Older women

613106

15.2%

Total

2554421
Χ2(3)=4.30, n.s.

There is no difference by age group in the percentage of people who answered thatthey have experienced pedal misapplication.

Operation Patterns and Pedal
Misapplication

There is a possibility that people who do notkeep their heel on the floor may be more
likely to step on the wrong pedal.

Accelerator

BrakeAccelerator

BrakeAccelerator

BrakeAccelerator

Brake〇〇〇××〇

××4(.11)
11(.14)8(.15)
11(.10)0(.00)
11(.19)7(.29)
14(.17)0(.00)
0(.00)
0(.00)
1(.33)

Total
It cannot be said that there is a difference in likelihood of pedal misapplication
depending on the operation pattern.

0(.00)
1(.20)
4(.35)
7(.30)

Total

4(.08)
23(.17)19(.20)34(.16)22

Χ2(3)=3.95, n.s.

Pedal Switching Method and Pedal
Misapplication
Pedal misapplication
YesNo
Stepping on the brake by leaning the foot toward
the brake pedal without moving the heel from astate in which the foot is in the upright position
when stepping on the accelerator pedal
Stepping on the brake with the foot in the uprightposition moved toward the brake pedal without
moving the heel from a state in which the foot is
inclined to the right when stepping on theaccelerator pedal
Stepping on the brake with the foot in the uprightposition by moving the heel from a state in which
the foot is in the upright position when stepping on
the accelerator pedal

Yes

35203

No

44218

Yes

27169

No

52252

Yes

48261

No31160

Χ2(1)=.27n.sΧ2(1)=.76n.s

Χ2(1)=.01n.s

No relationship observed between pedal switching method and tendency to commit
pedal misapplication.

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Matters That Should be Studied in theFuture• Issues concerning the accuracy of self-reported
information using the Web→ It is necessary to confirm whether the subjects areactually performing the operations as they have reported.
• The need to further study the relationship between
operation patterns and pedal misapplication→ The details of the situation of the drivers’ pedal
misapplication and their operation patterns at the time ofthe pedal misapplication are unknown.
→ It is necessary to confirm what kind of operation
patterns were used by those involved in accidents when
the pedal misapplication accidents occurred.
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