Driver Pedal Application Error Most Common Among Elderly Drivers

In the span of six hours, two elderly women drove into buildings as a result of pedal application error.  In the first instance, an 80-year-old woman accidentally drove into a gym when she mistook the gas pedal for the brake.  As a result, one woman was killed and six people were injured.

In the second accident, an 81-year-old woman also pressed the pedal gas when she wanted the brake.  She crashed into a post-office and, was fortunate to cause no injuries.  Neither driver was cited at the time of the accident.

Pedal application error is when a driver pushes a different pedal than the driver intended to push.  For instance, a driver pushes the gas pedal when intending to brake.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 16,000 accidents are caused by pedal application error each year.  A federal study found that the largest group causing these accidents is women 75 years of age and older when parking at slow speeds.  An auto forensics consultant believes that older drivers are particularly at risk of getting in pedal error accidents because their reflexes have begun to deteriorate.  The attorneys at Glenn, Mills, Fisher & Mahoney have handled many personal injury cases.  Contact us for a free consultation if you have been injured or have lost a loved one as a result of a pedal application error accident.

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