A genuine risk is posed by the default set up of a brake and gas pedal right next to each other. A throttle like on a jet would be cool. Nevertheless, there just hasn’t been a good enough alternative yet. This can pose issues, as a person who jams a foot down in an emergency can hit the gas rather than the brakes, which can cause incidents, even fatalities. Each now and again, someone comes up with a solution, and that’s where Masuyuki Naruse comes in.
Naruse pedal puts brake and acceleration with each other
Masuyuki Naruse got the idea after two incidents in which he inadvertently hit the accelerator pedal rather than the brakes in the 1980s. Naruse (the end is pronounced say), according to the New York Times, knew there was a solution. He got to work designing a pedal that could c mix acceleration and braking, and fix the fatal flaw within the dual pedal design. His first prototype was finished in 1991.
Did not titillate Toyota technicians
The pedal is for acceleration and braking. But not quite like the usual pedals. To brake, you push your foot down normally. The gas is a lever, which you move with your foot side to side. To speed up, you move your foot to the right. Braking hasn’t changed. About 10 years ago, Toyota was given one to test but didn’t release results. It isn’t the very first time somebody has thought of it. Currently, a comparable prototype is being tested in Sweden, invented by one Sven Gustafsson.
Handles a genuine issue
There is a real danger to dual pedals. In Japan, the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis found there were 6,700 accidents from individuals hitting the wrong pedal. 9,500 injuries and 37 deaths resulted from them. In the 1980s, a psychological study by Richard A. Schmidt found the foot can slip to the wrong pedal if neruomuscular processes are disrupted, which can be caused by an emergency situation. Naruse pedals are certified as street legal for 130 automobiles, and Naruse invited Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota to test the pedal himself, but Toyoda did not accept.
NY Times
nytimes.com/2010/08/04/business/global/04pedal.html?pagewanted=2 and _r=1
