[Report] Sudden Acceleration and EPB Pull Cause 'Stop'... "Defensive Driving Essential for Elderly Drivers"

Visit to Sangju Traffic Safety Experience Education Center by Korea Transportation Safety Authority
'EPB' as an alternative when brakes fail during rapid acceleration
From testing to control at Gimcheon Drone Certification Center 'All in One'

The thought of a vehicle unintentionally accelerating rapidly while the brake pedal fails to respond is terrifying. The danger multiplies if there are other vehicles or pedestrians on the road.

Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) Button Inside the Vehicle / Photo by Noh Kyung-jo

On the 7th, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority introduced and demonstrated the use of the 'Electronic Parking Brake (EPB)' as a method to handle such urgent situations at the Gyeongbuk Sangju Traffic Safety Experience Education Center.

The top priority is to press the brake pedal firmly with both feet, but if the speed does not decrease despite pressing it, the Authority advised that the EPB should be activated quickly. The EPB is a button shaped like (P) and its location varies by vehicle. It can be found on the lower left side of the steering wheel or next to the gear lever. The button should be pulled until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

When actually experiencing this in an electric vehicle, pulling the EPB while the speed was over 80 km/h and the accelerator pedal was still pressed triggered a 'beep beep beep beep beep' warning sound, and the vehicle stopped within 3 to 4 seconds. However, since using the EPB causes significant wear on the brake pads, it is recommended to use it only in emergencies.

The necessity of defensive driving was also experienced. Defensive driving is a driving habit required not only to prepare for unexpected situations such as traffic light changes while driving but also to ensure safety for elderly drivers who may have reduced cognitive and operational driving abilities. The proportion of deaths caused by accidents involving elderly drivers has steadily increased from 23.0% in 2019 to 29.2% last year, highlighting the need for caution.

The Authority allowed a reporter to wear an elderly simulation suit to compare before and after experiences. A scenario was assumed where the vehicle was driving at 50 km/h and had to decelerate urgently due to a water splash and a traffic light turning red. The reporter who voluntarily wore the elderly simulation suit said, "My joints do not move well, making it difficult to maintain balance, and my movements naturally slow down."

As he said, there was a difference in reaction speed before and after wearing the elderly simulation suit. Sometimes, by being cautious in advance, the vehicle stopped far before the water splash starting point, but after wearing the suit, the vehicle's front often entered the water splash or barely stopped just before it.

The Authority emphasized that along with defensive driving, social consideration and institutional management are necessary, stating, "We are implementing improvements to the qualification management system for the driving aptitude test related to elderly drivers." They also installed Blind Spot Detection (BSD) devices on 75 freight trucks and 15 buses, and piloted pedal black boxes on 395 taxis through 14 taxi companies in Seoul. Safety education for elderly pedestrians is also being conducted.

A reporter wearing elderly simulation clothing is urgently slowing down due to an unexpected situation. / Video by Noh Kyung-jo

After about a 20-minute drive, the Kimcheon Drone Qualification Center, the first in a non-metropolitan area to operate drone qualification tests on a regular basis, came into view. It had just opened six months ago. The total area of 41,568㎡, equivalent to eight soccer fields combined, houses a practical test site, takeoff and landing zones, control and operation buildings, and maintenance facilities.

The Authority stated that when new drones are introduced, they develop new qualification systems suitable for those models and open the runway and practical test sites to provide opportunities for practice and test flights. They also support drone delivery services. The current location of drones is monitored by the Drone Situation Management Center.

Choi Seong-won, a research fellow at the Authority's Drone Management Division, explained, "We attach identification devices to drone delivery models and monitor them in real time through the Authority’s identification management system, managing flight histories. We can even access detailed information such as drone model names, insurance approval status, and owner names."