What to do to avoid mistakenly pressing the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal when driving a car?

Mistaking the brake pedal for the accelerator pedal is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents for car drivers. To ensure safety when participating in traffic, drivers need to remember the following instructions:

Wear flat shoes instead of high heels

Women are the ones who often encounter this problem, with up to 80% of survey participants admitting to wearing the wrong shoes when driving. And about 40% of them said they wore high heels while driving. This is one of the reasons why driving is unsafe.

High heels with thin soles, small contact area with the floor, make the impact force of the toe on the brake pedal, accelerator not optimal. In some cases, the driver's foot can slip off the pedal. In unexpected situations, the driver loses his temper and can mistakenly step on the accelerator instead of the brake or vice versa.

Therefore, when driving a car, drivers need to use thin, flat-soled shoes to better operate the brakes and accelerator. Using bare feet to drive is also not recommended, because it can make the feet tired on long journeys. If the job requires the driver to regularly wear specialized shoes or high heels, preparing a pair of flat-soled shoes in the car is a solution.

Similar to male drivers, you should not wear shoes with soles that are too high, because then it will be difficult to feel the elasticity, the level of acceleration and braking. You should wear shoes with thin, soft soles to feel more real and react more easily.

Correct foot placement

To avoid accidentally stepping on the gas pedal, the driving position must be correct. As soon as you get in the car, the driver needs to adjust the seat to be most comfortable, easily controlling the brake pedal, gas pedal, handbrake, and gear lever. A comfortable sitting position will help the legs to be flexible, not "stiff" when handling situations.

The driver must maintain the principle of keeping the heel on the floor, using only the right foot to control the accelerator and brake. At this time, the heel is in line with the brake pedal and only the ball of the foot is used to move between these two functions. Keeping the heel firmly on the floor helps the foot position to be correct, avoids misplacement and especially can easily adjust the accelerator or brake force.

Stop the car, put it in N or P

In case of just stopping the car temporarily (waiting for a red light, asking for directions), shift to N and pull the handbrake. Pulling the handbrake is never redundant because it helps your feet relax, just rest it lightly on the brake for a short time and make sure the car does not roll on a slight slope. When stopping for a long time, in a safe position, the driver should shift to P and pull the handbrake.

The reason you should follow this rule is because if you leave the gear in position D, if the driver is startled by a strange noise or is affected by an unusual incident, there is a risk of pressing the accelerator pedal, causing the vehicle to lose control and easily cause a series of accidents.

Take your foot off the gas - apply your foot to the brake

Drivers should maintain the habit of "taking off the accelerator - applying the brake" - meaning that as soon as the right foot is taken off the accelerator, immediately turn the right foot to the brake to form the habit of always being ready to brake in all situations. This action should be practiced even when there is no dangerous situation because it helps the driver to always be ready to brake, instead of pressing the accelerator.

Remember: Take your foot off the accelerator and immediately move to the brake to form the habit of controlling the vehicle's speed.

Keep your mind alert

No matter how good your driving skills are, when you are sleepy or your mind is negatively affected by stimulants, driving always poses potential risks of being unsafe. Get a full night's sleep before each long journey, stop driving every four hours to let your body relax and absolutely do not use stimulants such as alcohol, beer, or drugs.