"Preventing Sudden Acceleration"... Police Expand Second Distribution of 'Pedal Misoperation Prevention Devices' for Elderly Drivers

Expanded to Metropolitan Cities and Provinces After the First Phase

The police are expanding the distribution of safety devices to reduce sudden acceleration (rapid acceleration) accidents involving elderly drivers.

The National Police Agency announced on the 20th that it has completed the installation of devices for the second phase of the "Pedal Misoperation Prevention Device" distribution project, which was promoted in cooperation with the General Insurance Association of Korea and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. The pedal misoperation prevention device is a safety device that automatically controls vehicle output when the accelerator pedal is mistakenly pressed instead of the brake pedal.

Photo showing the installation of a pedal misoperation prevention device. Photo by The Asia Business Daily Database

This project is a follow-up to the traffic safety agreement for elderly drivers signed in November 2024 by the National Police Agency, the General Insurance Association of Korea, and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. Previously, in April last year, the first phase of the free distribution project was conducted in Yeongdong-gun, North Chungcheong Province; Seocheon-gun, South Chungcheong Province; Jinan-gun, North Jeolla Province; Yeongam-gun, South Jeolla Province; and Seongju-gun, North Gyeongsang Province.

The scope of the second-phase project was expanded to include more regions and eligible participants. Since December last year, the police accepted applications from all metropolitan cities across the country, excluding Sejong City. A total of 3,192 people applied, and 759 were ultimately selected. The number of selected participants by region was as follows: 123 in Seoul, 108 in Busan, 125 in Daegu, 105 in Incheon, 113 in Daejeon, 112 in Gwangju, and 73 in Ulsan. Device installations were completed last month.

According to the police, the results of the first-phase project showed that 71 suspected cases of pedal misoperation due to abnormal acceleration were completely prevented over a three-month period. Abnormal acceleration refers to instances where, during low-speed driving (15 km/h or less), the accelerator pedal is pressed more than 80%, or where, during driving, a sudden acceleration causes the engine speed (RPM) to reach 4,500 rpm.

The National Police Agency plans to further validate the effectiveness of the devices in the second-phase project by analyzing driving data. Lee Seoyoung, Director of the Traffic Safety Division at the National Police Agency, said, "To prevent traffic accidents involving elderly drivers, policies that harmonize with their mobility rights are needed," and added, "We hope this project will serve as an opportunity to raise public awareness about traffic safety for elderly drivers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.