DOT HS 811 597 March 2012 Pedal Application Errors DISCLAIMER This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers’ names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Suggested APA Format Reference Lococo, K. H., Staplin, L., Martell, C. A., & Sifrit, K. J. (March 2012). Pedal Application Errors. (Report No. DOT HS 811 597). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. DOT HS 811 597 1. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date March 2012 Pedal Application Errors 6.Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Kathy H. Lococo,* Loren Staplin,* Carol A. Martell,† and Kathy J. Sifrit‡ 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) *TransAnalytics, LLC 336 West Broad Street 11. Contract or Grant No. Quakertown, PA 18951 DTNH22-07-D-00049, †Highway Safety Research Center, University of North Carolina Task Order No. 06 730 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered ‡Office of Behavioral Safety Research Final Report National Highway Traffic Safety Administration U.S. Department of Transportation 14. Sponsoring Agency Code 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE. Washington, DC 20590 15. Supplementary Notes Dr. Kathy Sifrit was the NHTSA Task Order Manager on this project. 16. Abstract This project examined the prevalence of pedal application errors and the driver, vehicle, roadway and/or environmental characteristics associated with pedal misapplication crashes based on a literature review, analysis of news media reports, a panel of driver rehabilitation specialists, analysis of multiple crash databases, and case studies. An analysis of crashes attributed to pedal-related vehicle equipment malfunction, rather than to a driver error, was also carried out based on a media scan. Available sources provide an estimate of 15 pedal misapplication crashes per month in the United States, but there are limits to the reporting and archiving of these events that could result in underestimation. Analyses of media reports and a State crash database indicated that the drivers in almost two-thirds of such crashes were females. When crash involvement is plotted against driver age a U-shaped function shows significant over-involvement by the youngest (age 16 to 20) and oldest (76 and older) drivers. Driver inattention and distraction were common contributing factors across age groups. Analysis of news reports examined which vehicle types, makes, and models most often experienced stuck accelerators and other equipment malfunctions in crashes between 2000 and 2010. Passenger cars were by far the most prevalent, and the makes that were most strongly over-represented in relation to their proportion of the U.S. fleet were all domestic. Besides identifying future research needs, recommendations were to educate physicians about medical conditions associated with pedal misapplications; refer drivers with lower limb sensory loss to driver rehabilitation specialists for evaluation for hand controls; inform the public about how to counteract an unintended acceleration; and provide law enforcement with a practical means of recording information about drivers in pedal misapplication crashes. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Pedal application errors, pedal misapplication, unintended This document is available to the public from acceleration, crash analysis, safety, older drivers, novice the National Technical Information Service drivers, driver performance, functional abilities, human www.ntis.gov factors, medical conditions, driver rehabilitation 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 132 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized i TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ....................................................................................4 BACKGROUND AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM ..................................4 PROJECT OBJECTIVE ......................................................................................................5 PROJECT SCOPE ...............................................................................................................5 METHODS ......................................................................................................................................6 LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................................6 Technical Literature .................................................................................................6 News Media Reports ................................................................................................7 DATA MINING...................................................................................................................8 National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey (NMVCCS) ...............................8 North Carolina State Crash Database ......................................................................9 DRIVER REHABILITATION SPECIALIST PANEL .....................................................11 CASE STUDIES ................................................................................................................13 Case Study Investigation of Drivers Required to Undergo Reexamination Following Pedal Misapplication Crashes (Iowa) ..........................13 One-on-One Unstructured Conversations With Drivers Involved in Recent Pedal Misapplication Crashes (North Carolina) ....................................................13 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................................15 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................15 NTSB Investigations ..............................................................................................15 Prevalence ..............................................................................................................16 Characteristics of Pedal Misapplication Crashes ...................................................16 Rationale for a Human Factors Cause for Unintended Acceleration Events .........17 Driver Age and Sex ................................................................................................20 Cognitive Deficits ..................................................................................................21 Age Differences in Foot Movement ......................................................................22 Driver Unfamiliarity With the Vehicle ..................................................................22 Pedal Configuration and Vehicle Geometry ..........................................................23 Driver Workload ....................................................................................................28 NEWS MEDIA AND DATA MINING ............................................................................29 Data Limitations.....................................................................................................29 Prevalence of Pedal Misapplication Crashes .........................................................30 Driver Age .............................................................................................................32 Driver Sex ..............................................................................................................35 Driver Height .........................................................................................................36 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont’d) NEWS MEDIA AND DATA MINING (Cont’d) Driver License Status and Experience at Time of Crash .......................................38 Crash Location .......................................................................................................40 Environmental and Roadway Conditions ..............................................................41 Pre-Crash Maneuver ..............................................................................................41 Startle or Panic Responses .....................................................................................43 Driver Inattention and Distraction .........................................................................45 Driver Out of Position ............................................................................................47 Driver Unfamiliarity With the Vehicle ..................................................................48 Driver Medical Conditions or Functional Impairments .........................................48