Why do drivers going the wrong way or pressing the wrong pedal not stop?

I will soon be turning 69.
I have reached the step just before the age where displaying the elderly driver mark becomes mandatory.

Accidents caused by elderly drivers going the wrong way or confusing the accelerator and brake pedals seem to remain frequent, and it is something I am very concerned about.

In particular, I am surprised that such vehicles continue to drive without heeding the warnings of those around them, and I cannot help but wonder why they do not stop.

<What is happening>

The first thing that comes to mind here is the runaway car accident that occurred in Ikebukuro in 2019.

It was a major accident that left nine people dead or injured, and it sparked significant social backlash because the driver was not initially arrested, with people claiming he was being given special treatment because he was a 'high-ranking citizen'.

The defendant, Mr. Iizuka, who caused the accident at that time, claimed there was a defect in the car and insisted, 'I am not at fault.'

This is something that can be said for many cases, but the person driving is convinced that'I am desperately pressing the brake, but the car is moving forward on its own.'.

They fall into a panic, do not realize that their foot is on the accelerator instead of the brake, andare pressing the pedal with all their might, thinking, 'The brakes aren't working.'.

Going the wrong way also starts with a small mistake, such as entering the wrong entrance.

Even if they think, 'Huh? This is strange,' they interpret it as being correct, thinking, 'This is probably right.' All the oncoming cars move out of their way.

They become convinced that 'since I am driving properly, this must be right after all.'
Even when horns are honked and headlights are flashed to warn them, they only feel, 'What is that? How annoying.'

And so, they continue driving without being able to make the decision to turn back.

Just like with the pedal confusion, this is becausethey think, 'I am driving on the correct road, so the other person is the one who is strange.'. It is a psychological state called 'confirmation bias,' where they ignore inconvenient information.

<Why is it common among the elderly?>

So, why is it common among the elderly?

As we age,nerve transmission speed slows down, making it easier to be late in noticing and reacting to abnormalities, and in some cases, it may be too late.

Also, while we could do multiple things at once when we were young, it gradually becomes easier forone of the tasks, such as checking front, back, left, and right, recognizing signs, or operating pedals, to be missed.In particular, it becomes easy to neglect the feet.

The foot operation itself alsoloses its subtle control precision.Mistakes in switching between the accelerator and brake also become more likely.

And, abundant driving experience becomesa dangerous 'habit', making it harder to respond to abnormalities.
It becomes difficult to realize that one's abilities have declined due to old age, and one thinks, 'I am fine.'

In fact, I also feel that my field of vision has narrowed compared to when I was young.

And, my dynamic visual acuity is definitely declining, and my reaction speed is becoming one beat slower.

Furthermore, when switching between the accelerator and the brake, my foot has started to get caught on the pedal.

My driving ability is definitely declining.

<What can be done to eliminate this?>

How can we prevent these things from happening?
First, when parking, go super slow and keep your right foot on the brake pedal so you can stop at any time.

Also, since keeping your foot hovering can lead to misalignment, keeping your heel on the floor and tilting it to the right for the accelerator and to the left for the brake will reduce mistakes.

It seems some new cars come with pedal misapplication prevention devices or automatic braking systems. These features might also be good.

Even in the case of driving the wrong way, once you realize something is wrong, instead of just continuing to drive, it is important to stop and check.

I also keep in mind that it is inevitable for physical functions to decline with age, so I have no choice but to drive in a way that accommodates that.

Conversely, I have become too scared to drive with the agility I had when I was young.

<Intentional wrong-way driving>

Finally, I will talk about something that is hard to believe and a bit scary.

There are cars that deliberately speed along even though they know they are going the wrong way.
There are cases where people miss an exit on the highway and make a U-turn to drive the wrong way, thinking, "I'll just go back a little bit."

There is likely impatience involved there, and perhaps a calculation that they don't want to pay the extra toll.

It is an unforgivable act that should never happen, but it is said that such intentional wrong-way driving accounts for over 20% of the total.
It is surprisingly high.

We should be careful.

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