Focus on 'Sudden Acceleration' in Sicheong Station Accident... How to Prevent Pedal Malfunction

Expert: "No sudden acceleration noise, likely driver error"

The driver of the vehicle responsible for the reverse driving traffic accident at City Hall Station is claiming 'sudden unintended acceleration' as the cause of the accident, shifting the focus of the incident to whether there was a vehicle defect. An expert noted that it is difficult to determine sudden unintended acceleration solely from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage at the time of the incident, but pointed out that the likelihood of 'driver error' is high, considering the brake lights turning on and the vehicle coming to a stop.

Moon Hak-hoon, a professor in the Department of Future Electric Vehicles at Osan University, appeared on YTN Radio's 'News Fighting' on the 3rd and said, "Whether sudden unintended acceleration occurred is a matter that should be judged cautiously. The exact details need to be investigated," but added, "However, looking at the footage, in cases of sudden unintended acceleration, the vehicle usually stops after colliding with a wall or utility pole, but in the City Hall Station accident, the brake lights (rear lights) come on as the vehicle stops. This suggests the accident was caused by driver error rather than sudden unintended acceleration."

Professor Moon also said, "Usually, sudden acceleration is accompanied by loud noise," and analyzed, "However, the footage shows that pedestrians on the sidewalk did not seem to hear any loud noise. If there had been noise, they would have turned around and had a chance to avoid the vehicle."

On the morning of the 2nd, police are controlling the area around a completely destroyed vehicle at an intersection near Seoul City Hall Station, where a major traffic accident occurred the previous day. Photo by Yonhap News

He explained, "In cases of sudden unintended acceleration, the National Forensic Service examines the EDR (Event Data Recorder), which records data inside the vehicle, to determine whether the brake or accelerator pedal was pressed," adding, "Also, although the brake lights come on at the end in the footage, it is necessary to check from when the brake pedal was pressed. If the vehicle was moving forward despite the brake lights being on while driving in reverse on a one-way street, it would be judged as sudden acceleration."

He continued, "It is necessary to confirm through CCTV whether the red brake lights were on during driving, and also review black box audio or photos related to the incident scene to determine if sudden unintended acceleration occurred."

Currently, the driver of the offending vehicle claims that, as a veteran with 40 years of experience in the transportation industry, it was not due to 'driver negligence.' However, Professor Moon said, "The possibility of driver error cannot be excluded simply because the person has driven for a long time," and added, "Even experienced drivers can momentarily confuse whether they pressed the brake or accelerator pedal."

To prevent 'sudden unintended acceleration accidents,' regular inspections in daily life are also necessary. Professor Moon said, "It is important to observe whether the engine's RPM rises higher than usual, causing louder noise, or if the engine vibrates irregularly," and advised, "In such cases, it is recommended to have the vehicle inspected."

Furthermore, he emphasized the need to develop systems to prevent accidents caused by 'pedal malfunction.' In an interview on CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Match' the previous evening, he said, "For some vehicle models, a system is planned to be applied that forcibly applies the brakes if the accelerator pedal opens rapidly during low-speed driving, assuming sudden unintended acceleration," and added, "A system should be developed to control the vehicle through such actions to bring it to a stop. There is also a need to introduce a 'kill system,' a switch that cuts off the power."