▁imm igr ants ▁were ▁also ▁twice ▁as ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁involved . ▁However , ▁law su its ▁file d ▁regarding ▁sudden ▁un int ended ▁acceleration ▁cases , ▁along ▁with ▁related ▁third - party ▁investigation ▁reports , ▁have ▁typically ▁avoided ▁the ▁driver ▁error ▁explanation . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁Wall ▁St . ▁Journal ▁reported ▁that ▁exper ts ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Highway ▁Tra ffic ▁Saf ety ▁Administration ▁had ▁exam ined ▁the ▁" black ▁boxes " ▁of ▁ 5 8 ▁vehicles ▁involved ▁in ▁sudden - ac cel er ation ▁reports . ▁The ▁study ▁found ▁that ▁in ▁ 3 5 ▁of ▁the ▁cases , ▁the ▁bra kes ▁wer en ' t ▁applied ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁crash . ▁In ▁nine ▁other ▁cases ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁study , ▁the ▁bra kes ▁were ▁used ▁only ▁at ▁the ▁last ▁moment ▁before ▁impact . ▁ ▁Fact ors ▁leading ▁to ▁ped al ▁mis application ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁ran ▁an ▁opinion ▁piece ▁by ▁Richard ▁Schmidt , ▁Ph D , ▁professor ▁emer it us ▁of ▁psych ology ▁at ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁sudden ▁acceleration ▁research er , ▁suspect ing ▁driver ▁error ▁as ▁the ▁primary ▁cause ▁of ▁un exp la ined ▁Toy ota ▁sudden ▁acceleration ▁reports . ▁Schmidt ▁pointed ▁to ▁several ▁factors ▁that ▁make ▁driver ▁error ▁more ▁likely : ▁elder ly ▁driver ▁age , ▁lack ▁of ▁experience ▁with ▁the ▁car , ▁and ▁short ▁stat ure . ▁In ▁addition , ▁un exp la ined