Gwangju Driver Claiming 'Sudden Acceleration' Admits to Pedal Operation Mistake

Rushed Out of Gwangju Daein Market and Crashed into Building
Mentioned 'Sudden Acceleration' but Soon Admitted Mistake

An elderly driver in his 70s, who claimed sudden unintended acceleration after crashing into a building pillar in Gwangju, admitted to pedal operation error.

A vehicle crashed into a pillar of the building across the street while exiting the public parking lot at Gwangju Daein Market. Immediately after the accident, the driver mentioned a "sudden unintended acceleration," but admitted to their mistake once the investigation began.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 5th, the Dongbu Police Station in Gwangju announced that Mr. A (in his 70s), who crashed into a building pillar while exiting the public parking lot at Daein Market in Dong-gu, Gwangju around 12:05 PM on the 26th of last month, admitted to "mistaken pedal operation."

Immediately after the accident, Mr. A mentioned sudden unintended acceleration, but during the police investigation, he stated that he accidentally pressed the accelerator pedal while reaching out to the parking lot card payment machine. There were no casualties in this accident, but some parking lot facilities and the exterior wall of the pillar were damaged.

It was found that Mr. A confused the brake and accelerator pedals, unaware that the auto-parking function had been deactivated. No evidence suggesting sudden unintended acceleration was found on the closed-circuit television (CCTV), and the police stated that there is no reason to book Mr. A, so the case will be closed.

Meanwhile, the number of elderly drivers claiming "sudden unintended acceleration" after accidents is increasing. On the 1st, a man in his 70s who drove about 250 meters in the wrong direction on a one-way four-lane road toward Sejong-daero claimed sudden unintended acceleration, causing controversy. A total of nine people died in that accident. On the 6th, an man in his 80s driving near Seoul Station crashed onto the sidewalk, injuring two pedestrians, and he also claimed sudden unintended acceleration. On the 9th, a sedan driven by a driver in his 70s crossed the center line in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, causing a collision involving five vehicles, and that driver also claimed sudden unintended acceleration.

Sudden unintended acceleration is a phenomenon where a vehicle accelerates rapidly without the driver's intention. Regarding the fuel types of vehicles involved in sudden unintended acceleration claims, gasoline accounts for 337 cases, diesel 220 cases, LPG 149 cases, hybrid 34 cases, and electric 26 cases.

Online, voices are growing stronger to tighten regulations on elderly drivers in response to such phenomena. The main points include strengthening the aptitude tests for elderly drivers, which are currently operated only formally, mandating license surrender for drivers aged 70 and above, and making technical improvements to emergency automatic braking systems.