Do you stomp your brakes?

[mbarker]

Here's the thing. On the news today, another guy here in Japan managed to drive his car through the front window of a store, injuring some 14 people. We've had several incidents like this recently, each one carefully reported.

In this case, they asked the driver what happened. His  explanation? He confused the brake and the accelerator. Hey, he's a 59-year-old truck driver, he should know what happened, right?

But he  apparently drove all the way into the store, which seems to me to indicate that he tromped hard on the gas. I guess maybe trucks take a heavy foot, but I don't really think he needed to stomp on it?

A little lighter foot might reduce the havoc when you  make a mistake?

Comments

[avaenuha.livejournal.com]

The only times I've really stomped the brakes was when I've had to do emergency stops - ie, someone has cut me off and braked suddenly, or an animal's run across the road. (I'm so screwed if I ever drive a car without ABS... it always seems so dramatic when that shudder cuts in, though.)

I have also, on two occasions, mistaken the accelerator for the brake, and had a moment of mild panic as the car lurched forward instead of slowing. Both at a particular stretch of road where my foot hovers over the accelerator instead of the brake, because I know the incline further along will slow the car below the limit. Thankfully neither of those times were emergencies.

I will say it took much longer than I would have expected for me to realise what was going on and correct it, though. If you've panicked, slammed the brake and gotten the wrong pedal, I can see how the above scenario could happen.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

I suppose. Although from the news pictures, it looked as if he was in a parking lot, which makes me wonder a bit about how he did this.

It also seems to be somewhat related to the large plate glass fronts that so many stores are putting in -- or at least the people driving into stores always seem to be doing it through a plate glass window. Maybe they need signs for drivers like they do for birds -- don't drive here?

Or quit putting in those windows down to the floor -- keep a brick sill to help stop runaway cars?