▁sudden ▁acceleration ▁events ▁were ▁most ▁frequently ▁reported ▁as ▁occurr ing ▁from ▁low ▁speed ▁or ▁fully ▁stopped . ▁Typ ically , ▁the ▁driver ▁was ▁int ending ▁to ▁press ▁the ▁bra ke , ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁cons ci ously ▁conf use ▁the ▁ped als ; ▁however , ▁because ▁of ▁advanced ▁age ▁and ▁neur om us cular ▁irregular ities , ▁short ▁stat ure ▁and ▁difficulty ▁reaching ▁the ▁ped als , ▁a ▁slight ▁mis align ment ▁in ▁se ating ▁position , ▁or ▁un famil iar ity ▁with ▁the ▁car ▁model , ▁the ▁driver ' s ▁foot ▁contact ed ▁the ▁acceler ator ▁by ▁mistake . ▁The ▁resulting ▁unexpected ▁sudden ▁acceleration ▁would ▁lead ▁to ▁pan ic , ▁with ▁the ▁driver ▁thinking ▁that ▁the ▁acceleration ▁system ▁had ▁failed . ▁The ▁immediate ▁response ▁would ▁be ▁to ▁bra ke ▁hard , ▁but ▁not ▁knowing ▁that ▁their ▁foot ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁acceler ator , ▁pressing ▁down ▁caused ▁greater ▁acceleration . ▁In ▁such ▁pan ic ▁situations , ▁the ▁driver ▁would ▁think ▁that ▁the ▁bra kes ▁were ▁not ▁respond ing , ▁and ▁continue ▁pressing ▁on ▁the ▁acceler ator ▁ped al ▁until ▁they ▁crash ed . ▁Switch ing ▁to ▁neutral ▁or ▁turning ▁off ▁the ▁ign ition ▁was ▁typically ▁not ▁cont empl ated . ▁Inc idents ▁occurred ▁exclus ively ▁in ▁automatic ▁transmission - equ ipped ▁cars ▁ ▁with ▁driver ▁compla ints ▁involving ▁r ental ▁cars ▁being ▁far ▁more ▁frequent . ▁ ▁All ▁factors ▁point ▁to ▁reduced ▁driver ▁familiar ity ▁and ▁s oph istic ation . ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 0