Pedal Misapplication: Interruption Effects and Age-Related Differences

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether pedal misapplication occurs more frequently when a pedal task is interrupted for a longer period of time. BACKGROUND: Misapplication of a vehicle’s brake and accelerator pedals can cause severe traffic accidents, especially for older drivers. The present study provides empirical support for the hypothesis that pedal misapplication occurs more frequently when drivers are interrupted for longer periods of time and is demonstrated more prominently in older drivers. METHODS: Forty younger participants and 40 older participants were asked to perform a pedal choice response task (stepping on either a brake or accelerator pedal) that had been preceded by an interruption task (i.e., touch number task). RESULTS: Pedal misapplications occurred more frequently when the pedal choice response task was preceded by the touch number task for a longer interval (about 120 s) than for a shorter interval (about 30 s). Furthermore, the time-related increase in pedal misapplications was greater for older participants. CONCLUSION: Pedal misapplication increases when the pedal task is interrupted for a longer time period, especially for older adults. APPLICATION: The findings contribute to our understanding of when and where pedal misapplications tend to occur.