Categorizing Unintended Acceleration/Pedal Misapplication Collisions from Event Data Recorders
Author(s): Young, Serkies, Martinez
Slidedeck Presentation:
Abstract:
Unintended acceleration collisions and pedal misapplication collisions are a North American safety issue that has been associated in the published research with thousands of preventable collisions each decade. There are a variety of categories and causes for these 'sudden acceleration' events, including inadvertent gas pedal application, double pedal application, floor mat interference, stuck throttles, and cruise control system errors. With the arrival of driverless vehicles and drivers 're-taking control' of autonomous driving systems, it is anticipated that pedal misapplication errors will become even more frequent. Careful analysis of event data recorder (EDR) information from collisions can be used to diagnose the specific category and cause of these preventable collisions for future safety improvements and collision reduction. EDRs have been an integral part of North American passenger vehicle airbag safety systems since the 1990s. In 2012, EDRs became a federal requirement for all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada and the U.S. Previous research has extensively documented the accuracy of the EDR data recorded in common collision modes, but has not addressed a systematic approach to diagnosing sudden acceleration collisions. In this paper, detailed analysis of EDR information from real-life and theoretical sudden acceleration collisions will be used to characterize the specific categories and causes of these preventable collisions for a holistic approach to future collision reduction. The frequency of each type of sudden acceleration collision can then be documented in collision databases for future study and improving vehicle safety systems. This paper will utilize the case study method, from both theoretical analysis and actual forensic collision analysis cases, to graphically demonstrate and categorize the characteristic EDR data plots that can be expected in each specific type of unintended acceleration and pedal misapplication collision. The EDR data plots from unintended acceleration and pedal misapplication collisions were significantly different with distinct characteristics for each of the various categories. In particular, the EDR data plots for double pedal application collisions vs. inadvertent gas pedal application vs. cruise control system errors had distinct graphical profiles that can be diagnosed and categorized by a collision investigator and are not interchangeable. The causes and unique characteristics of each type of unintended acceleration collision and pedal misapplication collision are discussed, along with the characteristic EDR data plot from that mode of collision. Potential vehicle safety systems to reduce the number of sudden acceleration collisions are suggested for future study. The discussion of the results integrates the previous safety research findings on unintended acceleration and pedal misapplication factors (papers published by Mortimer, Schmidt, and Young in human factors research), as well as the recommended use of EDRs for studying collisions and improving safety (papers published by German and Dalmotas in CARSP). The careful analysis of EDR data from 'sudden acceleration' collisions can be used to categorize and accurately document these types of preventable collisions for future study and vehicle safety improvements.