ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report

Characteristics of, and measures against accelerator and brake pedal misapplication
accidents
Akihiro Hirakawa, Researcher, Research Section 1, Research Division
Overview
Looking at the rate of accelerator pedal and brake pedal misapplication accidents among all accidents, among
elderly drivers age 65 and over, this rate is particularly high for elderly drivers age 75 and over, and this trend
does not appear to have changed significantly from 10 years ago. Meanwhile, the number of elderly people whohave a driver’s license has approximately doubled over the past 10 years and is expected to further increase
going forward, so there is a high probability that this type of accident will increase. Amid this situation, while
there are rising expectations regarding safe driving support vehicles, which compensate for the decline inphysical functions and so on among elderly drivers, it seems that it will take some time for vehicles equippedwith such support functions to become widespread.
With a focus on pedal misapplication accidents among elderly drivers, this study analyzes locations and driving
behaviors that have a high risk of accident occurrence, and accidents that have actually occurred, and makes
recommendations regarding measures for the prevention of accidents in accordance with the characteristics ofpedal misapplication accidents.

1. Background and goals
In the past 10 years, around 5,000 to 7,000 pedal misapplication accidents have occurred, accounting for about
1% of all accidents, and as such, this is not a particularly common type of accident. While the total number ofoperating error accidents has been decreasing year to year accompanying a decreasing trend for all accidents,
detailed analysis of the sub-classifications of “operating error accidents” reveals that the number of “pedal
misapplication accidents” alone has remained at the same level. Figure 1 is a graph showing the rates Note 2) ofdifferent “operating error accidents” among all accidents in which the primary party Note 1) (hereinafter “primary
party”) is a four-wheel vehicle, excluding special vehicles and mini cars (hereinafter “four-wheel vehicle”), byage group, based on accident data from 2012 through 2016. Looking at the rate of pedal misapplication accidents,
there appears to be a characteristic in which the rate is higher for the younger group (age 24 and under) than forthe middle group, and among elderly drivers age 65 and over, the rate is particularly high for elderly drivers age
75 and over. This trend has not changed over the past 10 years, and thus it seems that the effects of aging are
causing a decline in driving abilities, which is making “pedal misapplication” a characteristic type of accident for
elderly drivers. Elderly persons age 65 and over with a driver’s license for a four-wheel vehicle, who are at highrisk for causing pedal misapplication accidents, are expected to increase going forward, so accident prevention
measures targeting elderly drivers have become an important issue.
In this study, analysis has been carried out regarding the actual conditions of pedal misapplication accidents andthe actual conditions of vehicles involved in pedal misapplication accidents, with the objectives of obtaining
materials for consideration regarding measures against pedal misapplication accidents among elderly drivers, andhelping to popularize safe driving support vehicles that support the driver with vehicle functions.

1ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report

5(%)

ペダル踏み間違い
Pedal
misapplication

4
3

Steering
error
ハンドル操作不適

2

Brakingerror
ブレーキ操作不適

1

その他の操作不適
Other
operating error

0
24歳以下
24
and under 25～54歳
25 to 54

55～64歳
55 to 64

65～74歳
65 to 74

75歳以上
75 and overFigure 1. Rate of operating error accidents for the primary party driving a four-wheel vehicle by age group(2012 - 2016)
Note 1) “Primary party” refers to the party with the greatest degree of fault out of the parties involved in a traffic accident. In cases where
the parties are at equal fault, it refers to the person who suffered the least amount of personal harm.
Note 2) Rate of accidents = Number of accidents by type of operating error accidents ÷ Total number of accidents

2. Data targeted for analysis (macrodata)
This study divided the age group of elderly people age 65 and over at 75 to create the classifications of“early-stage elderly” for those between the ages of 65 and 74, “later-stage elderly” for those of age 75 and over,and “non-elderly” for those of age 64 and under. Targeting these three age groups, analysis was carried out
focusing on aging in relation to pedal misapplication accidents.
•

By age group: non-elderly (age 64 and under), early-stage elderly (age 65 to 74), later-stage elderly (age
75 and over)•Aggregation years: present (five years of 2012 through 2016), past (five years of 2002 through 2006)•

Number of accidents: total number of accidents in which the primary party is a four-wheel vehicle(excluding special vehicles and mini cars)•

Rate of accidents: number of pedal misapplication accidents ÷ total number of accidents × 100

3. Actual status of pedal misapplication accidents(1) Comparison of the locations where accidents occur (number of accidents)
This section looks at the types of locations where many pedal misapplication accidents are occurring relative tothe total number of accidents. Figure 2 is a graph showing the total number of accidents in which the primary
party is a four-wheel vehicle by age group and by road configuration, based on present and past accident data.
Among all age groups and for both present and past, the total number of accidents that were targeted forcomparison was high for “intersections,” and “uninterrupted road sections,” and these appear to account for the
majority of the accidents. Meanwhile, Figure 3, which is a graph replacing “total number of accidents” with“pedal misapplication accidents,” shows that among all age groups, the number of pedal misapplication
accidents is the largest for “uninterrupted road sections.” Also, in the elderly people groups, there appear to belarge numbers of accidents in general traffic locations (parking lots and similar locations), Note 3) such as the store
parking lots and coin parking areas, and this has the highest rate of increase among the road configurations.

2ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report(Number of accidents)(Number of accidents)

1,800,000

180,000

1,200,000

120,000

600,000

60,00000

交差点
Intersections

過去
Past

現在
Present

交差点付近
Near
intersections
Uninterrupted road
単路
sections

Past
過去

Non-elderly
非高齢者

Present
現在

Past
過去

65 to 74
65～74歳Present
現在

75
and over
75歳以上

Generaltraffic
一般交通の場所
locations (parking
lots and similar
locations)Figure 2. Total number of accidents for the primary party driving a four-wheel vehicle by age group andby road configuration(Past: 2002 - 2006, Present: 2012 - 2016)(Number of accidents)(Number of accidents)

3,000

18,000交差点
Intersections
12,000

2,000

6,000

1,000

0

0

過去
Past

現在
Present

Nearintersections
交差点付近
Uninterrupted road
単路
sections

Past
過去

非高齢者
Non-elderly

Present
現在

Past
過去

65 to 74
65～74歳Present
現在

General traffic
一般交通の場所
locations(parkinglots(parking
and similar
locations)75
and over
75歳以上

Figure 3. Number of pedal misapplication accidents for the primary party driving a four-wheel vehicle by age
group and by road configuration(Past: 2002 - 2006, Present: 2012 - 2016)

Note 3) “General traffic locations (parking lots and similar locations)” include the service areas along expressways and the like, store
parking lots, coin parking areas, and so forth.

(2) Comparison of the locations where accidents occur (rate of accidents)
This section looks at the road configurations where pedal misapplication accidents tend to occur based on therate of accidents, which is derived from the number of accidents mentioned above. Figure 4 is a graph showing
the rates of pedal misapplication accidents among all accidents in which the primary party is a four-wheel
vehicle by age group and by road configuration. Looking at the rate of accidents by road configuration, in theelderly people groups, the rates of “general traffic locations (parking lots and similar locations)” are high relative
to other road configurations, and this appears to have remained unchanged for the past 10 years. This trend isparticularly strong among elderly drivers age 75 and over, and there is a similar trend among non-elderly people
regarding which the rate is lower. As such, it seems that among all of the age groups, “general traffic locations(parking lots and similar locations)” are a place where there is a high risk of pedal misapplication accidents
occurring. This means that locations used by general traffic other than public roads, consisting of parking lots

3

ITARDA 20th WorkShop Reportand similar locations, are the road environments where effects on driving operations appear the most. Meanwhile,
among all of the age groups, the rates for “intersections” and “near intersections,” as well as “uninterrupted roadsections,” which had the largest numbers of accidents, are low relative to general traffic locations (parking lots
and similar locations).
In the analysis from this point, the target will be narrowed to general traffic locations (hereinafter “parking lots
and similar locations”), which tend to have a high accident risk for elderly drivers, and the characteristics ofpedal misapplication accidents, which tend to occur at parking lots and similar locations, will be observed.
(%)

20
Intersections交差点

15

Near intersections
交差点付近

10

Uninterrupted road
単路

5

sections

0
Past
過去

Current
現在

非高齢者
Non-elderly

Past
過去

Current
現在

65～74歳
65 to 74

Past
過去

Current
現在

75歳以上
75
and over

一般交通の場所
General traffic(parking
locations(parking
lots and similar
locations)Figure 4. Rate of pedal misapplication accidents for the primary party driving a four-wheel vehicle
by age group and road configuration(Past: 2002 - 2006; Present: 2012 - 2016)

4. Characteristics of accidents that occur in parking lots and similar locations(1) Typical accident patterns
Table 1 shows the relationship between driving behaviors and the presumed typical patterns that tend to cause
pedal misapplication accidents, based on articles reported in newspapers and the like covering pedal
misapplication accidents that actually occurred in parking lots and similar locations, and in-depth case-studies
possessed by the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (hereinafter “microdata”). The effects
of aging shown in the right-hand side of Table 1 show selected items that are thought to affect driving as a resultof general age-induced decline. In regard to the typical patterns thought to potentially cause pedal misapplication
accidents, there are multiple points of overlap for elderly drivers between the “Effects of aging” and the“Presumed causes of pedal misapplication,” that tend to lead to pedal misapplications. As a result, these have aneffect on driving and increase the possibility of operating errors occurring, and therefore presumably magnify thepossibility that pedal misapplications will occur.

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ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report

Table 1. Patterns of typical pedal misapplication accidents that occur in parking lots and similar locations
Driving
Typical patterns

Presumed causes of pedal misapplication

Effects of aging

behaviors
Starting up

Moving the vehicle for forward•

Increased frequency of switching between•

Decline in visual function

parking•

pedals (increased number of sharp turns)•

Decline in attentiveness and•Adjusting position while parking•

Sudden starting up•

Starting up from a parking spot•

Delayed and erroneousMoving•Heading towards a parking spot

straight•

Heading towards the parking lot’s•

information processing

Increase in number of times speed is adjusted•

entrance/exit

concentration•(increased use of brakes)

operations)(sudden pedal application due to distracted•

driving, etc. )Reversing

Body not moving as intended(delayed and imprecise

Failing to pay attention when driving•

Decline in physical flexibility•

Reversing in order to park the car•

Turning one’s body around to look backwards(joints stiffen and range of•Starting up in reverse out of a•

Increased frequency of switching between pedals

motion becomes more(increased number of sharp turns)

constricted)

parking space

Sudden reversing•

Patterns of accident occurrence

Effects on driving operations(2) Comparison by type of movement(i)

Composition rate by type of movement

This section looks at the types of driving behavior the driver was engaged in when pedal misapplication
accidents occurred in parking lots and similar locations
locations,, relative to all accidents. Figure 5 compares thecomposition rates of all accidents and pedal misapplication accidents in which a four -wheel vehicle is theprimary party that occurred in parking lots and similar locations by age group and by type of movement , basedon current accident data. Looking at the composition rate of all accidents targeted for comparison shown in thegraph,, it is possible to see that in all age groups, the composition rate of “reversing” accounts for about half
left graphof accidents overall. Meanwhile, the composition rate of pedal misapplication accidents shown in the right graphindicates that in all age groups, the composition rate of “reversing” is low, relative to all accidents. As for pedal
misapplication accidents, it is possible to see that in all age groups, “moving straight ” had the highest
composition rate, and “starting up” also had a high composition rate, relative to all accidents.
○ Pedal misapplication accidents○ All accidents
Starting
発進
up

MovingMovi
直進straight

Turning

右左折left/rightReversi

後退
ng

Other
その他

Starting

発進
up

Moving直進
straight

Turning

右左折left/rightReversi
後退
ng

Other
その他

(%)

100
80
60

59

21

19

17

45

46

47

26

27

27

49

54

40
20
0
Non-elderly
非高齢者

65 to 74
65～74
歳

75
over
歳以上
75and

elderly
Non非高齢者

to 74
6565～
～74歳

75 and over
75歳以上

(n=85,068)(n=18,372)(n=10,841)(n=1,778)(n=1,331)(n=1,410)

Figure 5. Composition rate of accidents for the primary party by age group and by type of movement in parking

lots and similar locations (2012 - 2016)

5ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report(ii) Rate of accidents by type of movement
Figure 6 shows the above-mentioned accident data related to driving behaviors that have a high risk of causing
pedal misapplication accidents, as rates of pedal misapplication accidents among all accidents, by age group andby type of movement. As for the rates of pedal misapplication accidents, it can be seen that in all age groups, therates are high for when “starting up” Note 4) and “moving straight” Note 5). The rates become particularly high as age
increases, and thus it is clear that the risk of accident occurrence gets higher with age. Meanwhile, in all the agegroups, the rates for when “turning left/right” and “reversing” were low, relative to when “starting up” and“moving straight” ahead.

40

(%)

30
Starting up
発進

20

Moving straight
直進

10

右左折
Turning left/rightReversing
後退

0
非高齢者
Non-elderly

65～74歳
65 to 74

75歳以上
75
and overFigure 6. Rate of pedal misapplication accidents for the primary party driving a four-wheel vehicle by age groupand by type of movement in parking lots and similar locations (2012 - 2016)

Note 4) “Starting up” refers to when a vehicle that had been stopped begins moving forward (the interval until the driver has traveled out of
the blind spot range; with medium-sized passenger cars, this covers up until they have traveled about five or six meters).
Note 5) “Moving straight” refers to when a driver is driving almost completely straight ahead along a roadway without changing lanes orturning (total value from accelerating, maintaining a constant speed, and decelerating).
Note 6) Other types of movement were excluded from the comparison because they feature a small number of accidents with no detectable
significant difference.

(3) Comparison by type of accident, when “starting up/moving straight”
This section looks at the types of accidents actually occurring as the result of the driving behaviors of when“starting up/moving straight” that have a high risk of causing pedal misapplication accidents in parking lots andsimilar locations. Figure 7 is a graph targeting accidents when “starting up/moving straight” in parking lots andsimilar locations, and compares the composition rates of all accidents and pedal misapplication accidents inwhich a four-wheel vehicle is the primary party by age group and by type of accident. Looking at thecomposition rates of all accidents targeted for comparison shown in the left graph, it is possible to see that in all
age groups, the composition rate of vehicle-vehicle accidents is high and accounts for half of the accidents
overall. It is clear that in all age groups, the composition rate of pedestrian-vehicle accidents also tended to behigh. Meanwhile, as for the composition rates of pedal misapplication accidents shown in the right graph, it canbe seen that relative to all accidents, in all age groups, the composition rate of vehicle-vehicle accidents is low,6

ITARDA 20th WorkShop Reportand in the elderly people groups, the composition rates of single vehicle accidents and collisions with roadsidestructures (collisions with houses, walls, and so on) are particularly high. As for pedestrian-vehicle accidents, inall age groups, the composition rate is low, relative to all accidents.

○ Pedal misapplication accidents○ All accidents(%)

Rear-end collision

Other

Pedestrian-vehicle
人対車両

相互-追突
vehicle-vehicle

相互-その他
vehicle-vehicle

Roadside structures
単独-工作物

Parked-vehicle
単独-駐車車両

単独-その他
Other single-vehicle

single-vehicle

single-vehicle

Rear-end collision

Pedestrian-vehicle
人対車両
Roadside
structures
単独-工作物
single-vehicle

相互-追突
vehicle-vehicle
Parked-vehicle
単独-駐車車両

Other
相互-その他
vehicle-vehicle
単独-その他
Other
single-vehicle

single-vehicle

100
36

80
63

60

53

47

48

49

40
20

30

33

30

Non-elderly
非高齢者

65 to 74
65～74歳(n=25,807)(n=6,344)

18

16

20

75 and over
75歳以上

Non-elderly
非高齢者

65 to 74
65～74歳

75 and over
75歳以上

(n=4,326)(n=1,260)(n=968)(n=1,042)

0

Figure 7. Composition rate of pedal misapplication accidents by type of accident when starting up / moving
straight in parking lots and similar locations by age group of the primary party driving a four-wheel vehicle(2012 - 2016)(4) Pattern diagrams of typical accidents when starting up
Referring to the patterns of typical accidents shown in Table 1, this section looks at the hypothetical cases
involving collisions with roadside structures as the presumed accident pattern regarding the driving behavior ofwhen “starting up/moving straight,” and shows these in diagrams. Figures 8 and 9 show diagrams of two patterns
from among the four patterns of presumed pedal misapplications when starting up:● When starting up in order to adjust the vehicle’s position during parking (see Figure 8. When starting up[1])○ When starting up from a parking space○ When moving the vehicle for forward parking● When moving the vehicle for forward parking after the vehicle’s position has been adjusted (see Figure 9.
When starting up [2])In parking lots and similar locations, it is necessary to engage in driving behaviors within a limited amount of
space, so it seems that factors such as the increased incidence of switching between the accelerator and brake
pedals as a result of sharply turning the vehicle, as well as the tendency to suddenly start up and engage ininaccurate driving behavior due to aging, presumably lead to accidents.

7

ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report● When starting up [1][● When starting up [2]

(

(
(
(

(

When starting up to
adjust the vehicle’s
position during parking((

Figure 8. Typical accident pattern when starting up

When moving thevehicle for forward
parking after thevehicle’s position has
been adjusted

Figure 9. Typical accident pattern when starting up(5) Pattern diagram of typical accidents when moving straight

Replacing the above with when “moving straight ,” Figure 10 shows a diagram of the pattern of presumed pedal
misapplication when moving straight:● When heading towards a parking spot and when heading towards the parking lot’s entrance /exit (seeFigure 10. When moving straight)● When moving straight

When moving through parking lots, due to factors• When heading towards a parking spot
• When heading towards the parking lot’s
entrance/exit

like the presence of pedestrians and other vehicles,
as well as searching for parking spaces, drivers

operate the brake pedal more to modulate their(

speed, and tend to suddenly step on the pedals as a(result of their tendency towards distracted driving inwhich they are too attentive to pedestrians
pedestrians and thelike. These and similar such conduct presumably
lead to accidents.
It thus appears that at parking lots and similar
locations, when engaging in the driving behaviors

Figure 10. Typical accident pattern when moving straightmoving straight,” it isof “starting up” and ““moving
important to make an effort to drive paying sufficient attention to hazardous points that carry a risk of causing
accidents.

5. Actual status of accident vehicles(1) Status of the spread of safe driving support vehicles

In recent years, preventing
preventing accidents with safe driving support vehicles that support the driver with vehicle
functions has been garnering significant attention, and it is expected that the spread of such vehicle s will havethe effect of reducing accidents to some degree. Among the support functions of safe driving support vehicles,
the status of the spread of vehicles equipped with an acceleration suppression device for pedal misapplication ,which are considered to be effective for preventing pedal misapplication accidents Note 7) is introduced. Figure 11

8

ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report

is a graph showing the number of new vehicles and rate of new vehicles that are equipped with an acceleration
suppression device for pedal misapplication based on materials of the “Survey on the SSpread
pread of ASV
Technologies” issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The equipping of newvehicles with an acceleration suppression device for pedal misapplication started progressing in around 2012,
and in 2015, the number of new vehicles equipped with such a device expanded to about 1.4 million (1,393,792),

and these vehicles accounted for 31.6% of all new vehicles produced. The eight major automobile manufacturers
in Japan have indicated that they expect to be able to equip almost all new vehicles with such a device by 2020,and currently such a trend is anticipated.

Vehicles equipped with an acceleration

Rate of new vehicles
新車搭載率
equipped with the device

ペダル踏み間違い時加速抑制装置装着車
suppression device for pedal misapplication(1000 units)

1,600

31.6%

1,200

40 (%)
30

800

1,394,000
,000
units

400
0

20
10
0

201
H242

201 3
H25

2014
H26

2015
H27

Figure 11. Status of the spread of vehicles equipped with an acceleration suppression device forpedal misapplication (2012 - 2015)
Note 7) Total number among vehicles produced for Japan (limited to medium-sized vehicles and small -sized vehicles)

Moving forward

Low-speed collision mitigation brake function (when moving
forward/ reversing)If there is a danger of colliding with an obstacle, the system
controls the engine output and braking in order to prevent thepotential collision accident before it happens.

Low-speed acceleration suppression function (when moving forward/
reversing)If the accelerator pedal has been misapplied, the system helps to prevent acollision resulting from sudden acceleration. The system suppresses
sudden acceleration by controlling the engine output.

Figure 12. Example of vehicle equipped with an acceleration suppression device for pedal misapplication(from the website of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)

9ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report(2) Comparison of accident vehicles
Figure 11 showed the trend regarding the spread of new vehicles equipped with an acceleration suppression

device for pedal misapplication
misapplication.. This section analyzes accident vehicles Note 8) that were actually involved inpedal misapplication accidents
accidents,, and compares them with actual conditions. Figure 13 is a graph comparing thecomposition rates of the numbers of years elapsed since initial registration (hereinafter “vehicle age”) of vehicles
in “all accidents” and “pedal misapplication accidents” in which the primary party vehicle is a medium -sized
vehicle or small-sized vehicle, by age group, based
based on the accident data of 2016. An overall feature that can beseen in Figure 13 is the fact that in all age groups , the accident vehicle is often a vehicle with a high vehicle age,and the composition rate of vehicles regarding which 10 or more years have elapsed since initial registration isparticularly high among elderly drivers age 75 and over, at about half. Comparing the composition rates of allaccidents and pedal misapplication accidents, the vehicle age is not only high for accident vehicle s involved in“pedal misapplication accidents,” and in all age groups, the composition rates do not appear to differ

significantly relative to “all accidents.” This trend is not limited to the accident vehicles shown in Figure 13 . The
average vehicle age Note 9) of medium-sized vehicles and small-sized vehicles currently registered in the market
has risen to 8 years and above
above,, so it seems that relying on the trend of switching to vehicles equipped with a n
acceleration suppression device for pedal misapplication alone will not result in accident reduction effects.

75 and over

65 to 74

75歳以上 65～74歳 非高齢者

Non-elderly

0%

20%

40%

80%

60%

All accidents
全事故

100%

38.3
n=292,967

Pedal
accidents
ペダル事故

41.2
n=2,889

All accidents
全事故

40.0

Pedal
accidents
ペダル事故

39.6

n=50,182
n=713

All accidents
全事故

49.1
n=24,656

Pedal
accidents
ペダル事故

46.5
n=742

Registration
登録年
years

1年
1

22年

33年

44年

55年

66年

77年

88年

99 年

10
10年以上
or moreFigure 13. Composition rate of the vehicle age of accident vehicles for the primary party driving a medium-sized

vehicle or small-sized vehicle by age group (2016)

Note 8) Accident vehicle = aggregated total number in accidents in which the primary party vehicle is a medium -sized vehicle or small-sized

vehicleNote 9) Average vehicle age of registered passenger car = average vehicle age extracted referring to “transition tables” of the Automobile

Inspection & Registration Information Association and Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization

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ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report

6. Human factors of pedal misapplication accidents
Figure 14 is a graph showing the types of situations in which operating errors tend to be made by human factorsthat affected driving operations through the use of data on drivers who engaged in improper driving (focusing on
all ages) from the microdata possessed by the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis. Figure
14 indicates accidents by using pedal misapplication accidents, as well as accidents caused by operating errors
such as steering error and braking error, for which there are a large number of accidents, as subjects forcomparison.
Of the human factors for drivers, “getting flustered / panicking” is the most common factor for all the operating
errors, and was common to all accidents caused by the three types of operating errors, suggesting that it has apronounced effect on driving. When drivers perceive some sort of danger and take evasive action, they could
conceivably get flustered or panic, which would lead to operating errors and result in accidents. It is crucial thatdriver attentiveness to things like confirming safety be enhanced to ensure that drivers do not encounter
situations in which they may get flustered or panic, or get involved in situations where there is the risk of an
accident occurring. In regard to pedal misapplication, the “old age-related factors” which was presented in the
aforementioned analysis, is more common relative to the other operating errors, and thus this appears to be acharacteristic of typical accidents by elderly drivers. Another characteristic is the prevalence of human factorsthat have an effect on driving in and of itself, such as being unfamiliar with a vehicle.
Steering error(n=83)

Pedal misapplication(n=28)

0
Driving as per usual
普段の通りに通行した

5

10

1
2

Getting flustered/panicking
慌て、パニック

20

30

5

10

4

2
34
1
5

6
7

2

6

2

4

14

0

4

0
8

20 (people)

9

14

0

15

6
2

1

Unfamiliar乗り慣れない車with a vehicle
Insufficient driving skills/experience,
運転技量･経験不足、過信
overconfidence40(people) 0

4
11

Drinking
飲酒10)
Old age Note
高齢

10

12

あせり、急いでいた
Impatient, in a rush

運転に不適当な服･靴
for drivi
Inappropriate clothing/shoes

20(people) 00

Driving absentmindedly/aimlessly
ぼんやり、漫然

Getting他のものに注意、脇見
distracted/looking aside

15

Braking error(n=41)

30(Focusing on all ages)

Figure 14. Human factors of drivers that caused operating error accidents (multiple responses accepted)(Fig. 10 from Reference Literature 3 is altered)
Note 10)“Old age” here is used to mean cases where it has been determined that a person’s driving is impaired as a result of aging.

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ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report

7. Introduction of a case example of pedal misapplication accident
This section introduces an example in which accelerator and brake pedal misapplication led to an accident when
the driver was attempting forward parking at an off-street parking lot.

○

Overview of accident

The accident in Figure 15 occurred between 11 a.m. and noon in January. Person A (woman in 70s, 21 years ofdriving experience, no fellow passengers, small-sized vehicle/automatic transmission vehicle) entered an
off-street parking lot for the purpose of going to a restaurant, and at that time, just before she stopped the vehicle
in order to park (A1), an accelerator pedal and brake pedal misapplication occurred. After the accident, Person
A’s vehicle started to run out of control, rushing out of the parking lot, etc., and it then collided with a tree on asidewalk (A2), and stopped after crossing a road and colliding with a signpost (A3). Person A explained bysaying, “I meant to apply the brake pedal and somehow ended up applying the accelerator pedal,” and thus it ispresumed that the cause of the accident was that her action did not match her intention. It appears that after
Person A carried out the pedal misapplication, it was difficult for her to accurately correct her driving error, andshe continued to apply the accelerator pedal causing the vehicle to run wildly. As a result of this accident, Person
A sustained injuries such as a rib fracture and cervical vertebrae sprain.

○

How to prevent pedal misapplication accidents

As for the direct cause of the accident in Figure 15, it seems that instead of applying the brake pedal andstopping the vehicle in order to park inside an off-street parking lot, Person A mistakenly applied the accelerator
pedal in an ongoing manner, causing the vehicle to run wildly and making it impossible to carry out driving
operations.
Upon considering effective driving-operation methods for preventing operating errors by drivers based on thisexample, it is thought that in the case of automatic transmission vehicles like Person A’s vehicle, utilizing thevehicle’s creep phenomenon Note 11) while placing a foot on the brake pedal prior to parking the vehicle and thenkeeping it there will lead to the prevention of accidents. It seems to be necessary to incorporate a driving methodthat has sufficient leeway, based on preparing early for the transition to the next stopping action, and starting thisbefore the vehicle is in its final stopping position.

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ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report

Sidewalk

Sign pole

Parking lot

Figure 15. Case example of pedal misapplication accident that occurred inside a parking lot (sudden starting up)
Creep phenomenon
P
R
N
D
L
Shift lever

Usage example 1)

Conceivably effective in parking lots and similar locations where drivers frequently alternate between the brake andaccelerator pedals

Usage example 2)

Conceivably effective at preventing sudden start -ups

Note 11) The creep phenomenon refers to a phenomenon with automatic transmission vehicles whereby shifting the shift lever into drive(positions other than P (Park) and N (Neutral)) will cause the vehicle to move slowly even without pressing the accelerator p edal.

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ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report

8. Conclusion
Based on the result of the analysis thus far, it appears that pedal misapplication accidents caused by elderly
drivers have the following characteristics.
•

The rate of accident occurrence in parking lots and similar locations, such as store parking lots and coinparking areas, is high.

•Among the driving behaviors carried out in parking lots and similar locations, the rate of accidents is highfor when “starting up/moving straight,” and this rate increases with aging.

•Among the types of accidents when “starting up/moving straight” in parking lots and similar locations,“collision with roadside structures” has a high composition rate.

•

As for the human factors of pedal misapplication, “old age” and “getting flustered/panicking” arecommon.

•In regard to the vehicle age of accident vehicles, vehicles regarding which 10 year or more years haveelapsed since initial registration have a high composition rate, and this is true of many accident vehicles,
and not just vehicles involved in pedal misapplication accidents.

Based on the results of the analysis on this occasion, the following measures for the prevention of pedal
misapplication accidents among elderly drivers are recommended.

(1) Measures on the vehicle side
While safe driving support vehicles are increasingly spreading among new vehicles, there is a trend in which thevehicle age is increasing for many vehicles operating in the market, and this is not limited to accident vehicles.
In the case of elderly drivers, considering the number of years and frequency of use of vehicles going forward, it
seems that hopes cannot be placed on people switching to new vehicles that are equipped with support functions,and it will take some time before elderly drivers experience the effects of safe driving support vehicles. In orderto accelerate the spread of such vehicles, it seems that expanding “support car subsidy systems” would be aneffective policy, since in recent years, these systems have been spreading among some local governments as an
initiative for promoting switching to safe driving support vehicles. In regard to vehicles operating in the market
as well, the development of safety devices that can be retrofitted on vehicles is strongly hoped for, and there arehigh expectations regarding the potential for the further development of safe driving support vehicles.

(2) Measures on the elderly-driver side
While there are hopes for the increased dissemination of safe driving support vehicles, based on the trend
regarding the vehicle age of accident vehicles and so on, it seems that in parallel with such dissemination, theenhancement and development of safety education and the like for elderly drivers will be an important issue
going forward.
(i)

Utilization of the creep phenomenon

In the case of driving in parking lots and similar locations that was targeted in the analysis on this occasion,
driving is generally in the low speed range within a limited space. It is believed in the case of automatictransmission vehicles, both when starting up and when moving straight, it would be effective to incorporate
driving utilizing the vehicle’s creep phenomenon while keeping a foot on the brake pedal, as much as possible
according to the situation.

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ITARDA 20th WorkShop Report(ii) Caution regarding pedestrians and vehicles emerging from unexpected places
In the case of driving in parking lots and similar locations, there are many blind spots, and pedestrians andvehicles can emerge from unexpected places, so it seems that there is a higher probability of drivers getting
flustered due to such sudden occurrences and engaging in pedal misapplication. In order to prevent getting
flustered/panicking, it is necessary for drivers to grasp the surrounding conditions, stay highly alert, and make aneffort to respond calmly even if there is unexpected occurrence.

(iii) Double checking driving operations
It seems that in the case of elderly drivers, due to a decline in physical functions and flexibility of the body,sometimes the body does not move as expected and unintended operation errors can end up occurring. It is
important for drivers to use a seat position that personally fits them, and to use a correct driving posture that is
unstrained with regard to driving operations. It seems that in the case of elderly drivers, it is necessary tomaintain safety awareness for carrying out reliable and accurate driving, and this should include checking
whether one personally has a tendency to make driving errors, confirming the position of the foot that applies
pedals, and so on.

(iv) Concentrate on driving
An effort should be made to always maintain a driving style with a sense of leeway, and it is important to neversimultaneously perform tasks such as operating a car navigation system during driving, thoroughly create anenvironment that enables concentration on driving, and work hard to avoid engaging in pedal misapplication.

(3) Response on the side of the government
In safety education for elderly drivers, typical accident patterns in which pedal misapplication tends to occur
should be incorporated as practical driving training, and an effort should be made to provide education on
specific methods for safe driving, while presenting scenarios that require caution during driving by utilizing
driving simulators, etc.
Dashboard camera footage is believed to be effective for teaching drivers about the actual conditions ofaccidents, and utilizing this in education for strengthening the safety awareness of drivers is desirable. It seems
that utilizing handbooks and leaflets compiling key points related to the occurrence of pedal misapplication
accidents is also needed as a way to provide drivers with information that promotes awareness.

Reference literature1) 関根康史、柴崎宏武：「自動車の運転姿勢とペダル踏み間違いの分析」,第 53 回交通科学学会講演概要（2017.6）
2) 松浦常夫：「高齢ドライバーの安全心理学」,東京大学出版会（2017）3) 本田正英：「運転操作の誤りを防ぐ」,イタルダインフォメーション№107,ITARDA（2014）4) 篠原一光他：「アクセルとブレーキの踏み違いに関係する高齢者の認知･行動特性の分析」,IATSS 研
究調査報告書(H2757)
5) 関根康史、柴崎宏武、伊藤聡子、平川晃洋：「高齢運転者の着座姿勢がペダル踏み間違いに及ぼす影響の分析」第 26 回交通・物流部門大会,一般社団法人日本機械学会講演概要（2017.12）

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