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. To brake, push down with your foot like you would normally. Toyota’s engineers tested the pedal about 10 years ago, but didn’t do much with it afterward. Naruse is not the first person to think of it either. A Swede named Sven Gustafsson invented something comparable. It is being tested in Sweden.
This is a serious issue
Studies have indicated the danger of 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. Individuals can forget which is which in emergencies. Richard A. Schmidt found that neuromuscular processes could be disrupted by emergency situations. Naruse pedals are certified as street legal for 130 vehicles, and Naruse invited Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota to test the pedal himself, but Toyoda did not accept.
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NY Times
nytimes.com/2010/08/04/business/global/04pedal.html?pagewanted=2 and _r=1
