General Category > Accident File

Sudden unintended acceleration

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aljshep:
This has happened to me TWICE.  I put it down to driver error.  I was driving a 2016 Mazda 6 (diesel auto) which has now been sold.

The first time I was stopping to park behind another car at slow speed.  About 6 feet from that car  the BRAKE warning deployed as I shot forward.  I lifted my right foot and slammed it on the brake pedal.  We stopped with an inch to spare.

The second time I was again driving slowly - into a “nose-in” parking space.   Again, the car jumped forward and the front wheels mounted the kerb.  Again,  I lifted my right foot and slammed it on the brake pedal and stopped without hitting anything.  No warning as there was no obstacle ahead.

I had assumed in each case that I had my foot lightly on the accelerator pedal and pressed it to slow.  Then pressed harder as the car sped up and then pressed even harder.  As I said – driver error.  But now I am not so sure!  I have been driving automatic cars for over 50 years and never had anything even remotely similar before.  On the other hand, there are numerous reports of elderly drivers braking sharply with the accelerator pedal and coming to grief.  I doubt that I will ever know.

Anchorman:
I think mine did something strange one day which resulted in a collision but I’m not confident enough to say that it wasn’t my driving.  It felt very unusual.

Deeps:

--- Quote from: agj on April 07, 2019, 07:22:47 pm ---@dunhill1984 - When you enter a parking bay with enough movement, you'd bring it to a halt by applying the brakes slowly and then finally braking fully. I understand your point - Sometimes(esp. when you need more power), you use accelerator to move within the bay and apply brakes at the very end.

--- End quote ---

In all of the 50+ years that I have been driving, and especially since moving to automatic cars, I can't honestly recall a single occasion when I have needed to accelerate within a parking bay. The Mazda automatic box is of the type that when left in D will continuously creep meaning that one has to firmly apply the foot brake or move the stick into N to counter this. This creeping happens all the time and it doesn't matter whether the vehicle is pointing uphill, downhill or on the flat. In short, with gentle light-footed movement of the brake pedal there is enough of a creep to maneuver safely into a parking bay, or out of it when the stick is in the R position.

I agree with Willpower in that the first two posts in the above mentioned link appear to have been written by the same person and would perhaps go further by saying that if there was actually a design fault resulting in this sudden and unwanted acceleration I would have expected to have read/heard a lot more about it at this time. A design fault by definition is a design fault and would apply to more than just a handful of vehicles.

steve101:
I would have to agree with Deeps. The only time I have noticed a lack of creep is on a steep hill, upwards.

dunhill1984:

--- Quote from: agj on April 04, 2019, 04:36:13 pm --- Very strangely, the car's parking / proximity sensors which are usually very good didn't go off at all and neither did the smart brake assist which would indicate a BRAKE!!! warning on the dash.



--- End quote ---
   smart brakes dont work at very low speeds(<2.5 mph)

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