Step on Gas instead of Brake?

After reading SharonB's account of seeing a lady drive into a ditch today, and remembering seeing a lady drive right over the sidewalk into the glass front of a Chinese Restaurant a few years back and listening to our news in the last few days of which no fewer than 3 cars have gone into buildings with the same explanation, "I stepped on the gas instead of the brake" defense, I'm really wondering if anyone here has actually done that?

I just can't see how anyone can mistake the gas pedal for the brake pedal. They are spaced nicely, the brake pedal is way higher than the gas, etc. Does this really happen or is it just a good excuse for inattention?

Well, I can see how you could do it in an unfamiliar car in a pressure situation, but if I've done it, I don't remember.

I have had the car in a reverse gear than I wanted it to be in, but never stepped on the wrong pedal.

Ana

No, never mixed up the pedals, and I learned on a 3-pedal one (manual gear change). I too wonder how one can mix up the pedals (shaking head).

I've never had that problem either. In fact there have been times when I've almost pushed the brake through the floorboard in order to stop as quickly as I could. Dumb Cracker Jack licensed drivers.

I learned you don't go anywhere in neutral....

Oh 3D...I remember doing that too! But mistaking the gas for the brake and running into things? Never can fathom that one. I think it's almost like the 'I only had 2 beers' when people are stopped for a DUI. It's always 2. Great excuse that caught on for drivers who crash.

I go around in neutral quite often.

I accidently stepped on the brake in a conveyer type car-wash and shut down their whole operation.

Yeah, I did it. It's a funny story, even if it's at my expense...

I grew up in a large family and when many of us were living at home and were driving we had multiple cars at home. In this case, I walked out of the front door of our house, out the walkway and down the stairs to our driveway. I walked past one car, walked between it and the car in front of it and got in the front car. I started the car and put it in reverse. I started to back up as I turned around to see where I was going. Well, where I was going was right into the front of the car behind me. In a panic I tried to hit the brake but hit the accelerator instead. In those days bumpers were much heftier than they are today. There was some cosmetic damage, as I recall, but nothing serious.

Of course I had to go back inside and tell my parents. That was not fun.

How interesting Bob. I'm trying to picture your car moving (you must have had your foot on the gas then) and then how did it get off the gas and then back 'on' the gas? I am trying to figure if your foot slid off the brake onto the gas again, or if you lifted your foot off the gas and the missed the brake and went back onto the gas?

Sorry you had that little 'accident'.

My car's gas pedal is way to the right, brake pedal much much higher up and to the left. Can't mistake them no matter what I do. I have to lift my foot high up and left to hit the brake and if I miss, my foot just goes in between the brake pedal and the gas.

Maybe my cars are different than others? I've tried some experiments but the only way I can accidently hit the gas is if I am wearing huge boots or floppy bedroom slippers that hit both the brake and gas at the same time.

I'm still baffled.

I didn't explain that part so well. As I was beginning to back up, my foot was on the gas. When I saw I was headed into the other car and had to act fast, I just pushed down on the gas without moving to the brake pedal.

I have never actually tried to hit the brake pedal and missed. I have had some trouble with big shoes and three pedals close together, including a clutch. I remember a Fiat I had that was especially tight. But I never actually hit the wrong pedal in that car.

Maybe in these accidents it was like what I did.

Ahhh that makes it much clearer. Thanks for the detailed explanation, Bob. So you were on the gas and just panicked and pushed harder on the gas instead of moving over to the brake. Makes sense now.

So maybe that's what's happening to all of these people around here who say they stepped on the gas instead of the brake. Maybe they never tried to brake and just freaked out and pushed harder on the gas.

We have had so many in the last few weeks, it's almost like an epidemic. I wonder if there is a 'vaccine' for it?