Stepping on the wrong gas pedal - a fear that can be overcome

1. Use flat-soled shoes

For female drivers, this is the most important issue to pay attention to. High heels with a small contact area with the floor cause the force of the toe to impact the brake pedal, the accelerator is weak... In some cases, the driver's foot can slip off the brake pedal. Or in unexpected situations, the driver loses his temper and mistakenly steps on the accelerator instead of the brake or vice versa.

For male drivers, you should not wear shoes with soles that are too thick, because then it will be difficult to feel the elasticity and the level of acceleration and braking.

Therefore, when driving a car, drivers need to use thin, flat-soled shoes to better operate the brakes and accelerator.

2. Stop the car 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 immediately stepping on the gas pedal, causing the vehicle to lose control and easily cause a series of accidents.

3. Heels do not leave the floor

Drivers need to master the principle of keeping the heel on the floor, using only the right foot to control the accelerator and brake. Keeping the heel firmly on the floor helps keep the foot position correct, avoids misplacement and makes it easy to adjust the accelerator or brake force.

The heel must be viewed as a pivot point from which to rotate the foot from the accelerator to the brake or from the brake to the accelerator quickly and accurately.

The good habit here is “take your foot off the gas and apply the brake”. 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 gas.

4. Stop and park properly

For stopping and parking situations, hand operation is as important as foot operation in limiting the error of mistakenly pressing the accelerator. 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 foot 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, you should put the car in P and pull the handbrake. In addition, it is very important to keep the habit of turning the steering wheel to the side of the road when parking on steep terrain to avoid the car going off the road or drifting too far in case of a downhill slide.

5. Keep your mind alert and focused

If affected by fatigue, drowsiness or stimulants, the driver can be distracted, leading to inaccurate handling.

You need to get enough sleep before each long journey and absolutely do not use stimulants such as alcohol, beer... After every 4 hours of driving, you need time to rest and relax before continuing the journey.

* Main causes of mistakenly pressing the accelerator pedal:

- Unstable mentality:This error is common in people who are new to driving or are not yet proficient in driving, especially when encountering a situation that requires emergency braking, because they are not used to it, they easily fall into a state of panic, so it is easy to press the wrong foot. Sometimes, they realize that they have pressed the gas pedal by mistake, but by inertia, they press it again, and this is of course very dangerous, with a high risk of an accident.

- Incorrect driving posture:This may be due to incorrect sitting posture, using the right foot to hold the accelerator and the left foot to brake. In this position, the driver will not have enough braking force, and may even be confused in unexpected situations.

- Forgot to shift gear, still in D mode:This is a common cause that comes from the habit of leaving the car in D mode and keeping the foot on the brake when stopping the car temporarily. While stopping, if the driver moves his/her sitting position or takes his/her foot off the brake, it will be very dangerous, especially when there is an unexpected situation that needs to be handled, the driver can easily be passive and confused.

Ngoc Anh