Why do drivers so often confuse the accelerator and brake pedals?
- December 26, 2022
- 0
At least once in our lives, we encountered a situation when we involuntarily confused the gas with the brake, as a result of which we horrified ourselves and
At least once in our lives, we encountered a situation when we involuntarily confused the gas with the brake, as a result of which we horrified ourselves and surprised others. In addition, the ability to mix the pedals practically does not depend on the driving experience. The reasons for this dangerous phenomenon are completely different. In which discovered the AvtoVzglyad portal.
When analyzing accidents, we often hear from the perpetrator of an accident the expression that he mixed up the pedals. And we rather treat it as an excuse, which rather indicates a person’s level of driving ability. However, it is entirely possible to mix up the pedals. And it happens quite often. The reason, as a rule, is that the driver gets into a non-standard situation. In which a person’s attention is diverted to something that has nothing to do with footwork. This happens at the moment when the brain gave a command to move the foot from the gas to the brake, and at the same time another, more emotionally important task appeared. For example, dodge a stupid pedestrian who suddenly ran into the roadway.
As a result, the foot still remains on the accelerator, and the belief that it is on the brake has already been formed in the brain. What happens next is clear. It is also possible to confuse “hot” with “cold” due to the fact that when driving the machine, the right leg seems to hang in the center position, in which neither the brake nor the gas is pressed. And by some unfortunate coincidence, it can slide away from a neutral position. And you, thinking you’re hitting the brakes, hit the gas again. In other words, when driving a car, you should not allow situations where the accelerator or brake pedal does not make contact with the foot.
In addition, there is a category of drivers who consider themselves great specialists in racing. One of the tricks they like to use is called “Heel and Toe”: an attempt to hit the brake and accelerator pedals with the right foot at the same time. In sports, this is done to give the car the desired handling characteristics when driving at the point of losing traction. But for street racers, it serves a completely different purpose.
In this way they try to demonstrate their “skill”. The only problem is that to confidently master such a technique requires constant training. And if they are not there, then in any non-standard situation a protective reflex is activated and the person instinctively favors the brake, locking the wheels. Which turns the car into an unguided missile. And in this case, the emphasis is already shifting from inadequate action to the brake.
After confusing the pedals, why don’t we eliminate the error right away? And here everything is simple. This is a result of the rise of cognitive dissonance, where the lack of the expected response from the car puts us in a state of stupor and triggers an instinctive attempt to at least do something. In our case, press the pedal even harder, increasing the diametrically opposite effect. As a result, the usual picture of the world collapses in our minds and a real primitive panic begins. It is impossible to cope with it, because for this it is necessary to use the intellect, and in a state of stress, he catastrophically does not keep up with his reflexes and is unable to control the situation.
What to do then? The AvtoVzglyad portal believes that the issue of professionalism and good driving skills is at stake here. Every action on your part should lead to a certain result, which you should clearly feel. And if it doesn’t, you need to quickly figure out what the problem is and fix it. And of course, in order not to find yourself in such situations, you should not accelerate to speeds where you begin to feel obvious discomfort.
Photo wontriumdaily.com
When analyzing accidents, we often hear from the perpetrator of an accident the expression that he mixed up the pedals. And we rather treat it as an excuse, which rather indicates a person’s level of driving ability. However, it is entirely possible to mix up the pedals. And it happens quite often. The reason, as a rule, is that the driver gets into a non-standard situation. In which a person’s attention is diverted to something that has nothing to do with footwork. This happens at the moment when the brain gave a command to move the foot from the gas to the brake, and at the same time another, more emotionally important task appeared. For example, dodge a stupid pedestrian who suddenly ran into the roadway.
As a result, the foot still remains on the accelerator, and the belief that it is on the brake has already been formed in the brain. What happens next is clear. It is also possible to confuse “hot” with “cold” due to the fact that when driving the machine, the right leg seems to hang in the center position, in which neither the brake nor the gas is applied. And by some unfortunate coincidence, it can slide away from a neutral position. And you, thinking you hit the brakes, hit the gas again. In other words, when driving a car, you should not allow situations where the gas or brake pedals do not make contact with the foot.
In addition, there is a category of drivers who consider themselves great specialists in racing. One of the tricks they like to use is called “Heel and Toe”: an attempt to hit the brake and accelerator pedals with the right foot at the same time. In sports, this is done to give the car the desired handling characteristics when driving at the point of losing traction. But for street racers, it serves a completely different purpose.
In this way they try to demonstrate their “skill”. The only problem is that to confidently master such a technique requires constant training. And if they are not there, then in any non-standard situation a protective reflex is activated and the person instinctively favors the brake, locking the wheels. Which turns the car into an unguided missile. And in this case, the emphasis is already shifting from inadequate action to the brake.
After confusing the pedals, why don’t we eliminate the error right away? And here everything is simple. This is a result of the rise of cognitive dissonance, where the lack of the expected response from the car puts us in a state of stupor and triggers an instinctive attempt to at least do something. In our case, press the pedal even harder, increasing the diametrically opposite effect. As a result, the usual picture of the world collapses in our minds and a real primitive panic begins. It is impossible to cope with it, because for this it is necessary to use the intellect, and in a state of stress, he catastrophically does not keep up with his reflexes and is unable to control the situation.
What to do then? The AvtoVzglyad portal believes that the issue of professionalism and good driving skills is at stake here. Every action on your part should lead to a certain result, which you should clearly feel. And if it doesn’t, you need to quickly figure out what the problem is and fix it. And of course, in order not to find yourself in such situations, you should not accelerate to speeds where you begin to feel obvious discomfort.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
