# Not unintended acceleration **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 31, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750 "2020-12-31T18:27:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/1 "2020-12-31T18:27:46Z")
Well, in this case, at least according to the news report, the driver did not try to shift the blame to the car/manufacturer. > **[Woman trying to park car crashes through fence, disrupts Red Line service in...](https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/12/person-on-metro-tracks-disrupts-red-line-service-in-rockville/)** > > A woman trying to park her car in Rockville hit the gas instead of the brakes, causing her vehicle to crash through a fence between the Twinbrook and Rockville Metro stations. I’ve mentioned my own similar errors on this forum: > [@Runaway engine '04 Camry](https://community.cartalk.com/t/runaway-engine-04-camry/110628/3): > > As I also have an '04 Camry (4cyl AT), I am very interested in this. I have “runaway” experienced twice. The first time result is shown in the photo. I’m pretty sure this was just foot-on-wrong-pedal; passenger asked me a complicated question just as I was pulling up to the parking bumper. Fortunately, no damage to people or property. But I did feel like a fool. Second time was pulling up to a drive-thru ATM. I was wearing big galoshes. With left side of (right) foot on brake, right side… Happy New Year. May your car always go where you want and stop when you want. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/2 "2020-12-31T21:09:45Z")
> [@art1966](#): > > the driver did not try to shift the blame to the car/manufacturer. A person who actually assumes an **adult** -level of responsibility, and admits that he/she is at fault? This is a rarity, and this woman deserves a medal for her honesty. Unfortunately, she also needs to improve her driving skills. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/3 "2021-01-01T02:54:20Z")
I’m sure over the years this has happened countless millions of times but most of the time no damage is done and many people may not remember exactly how it happened nor will they 'fess up to anything. I’ve lurched a car a couple of times with the brake/accelerator pedal mistake but thankfully no running into anything or anyone. Both times i was wearing hard soled boots which slipped off of the brake pedal. With sneakers it’s never been a problem. That woman is lucky she didn’t go on through the fence and get whacked by a train. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/4 "2021-01-01T03:09:47Z")
I agree with all that’s been said. Diverting from the main topic, I notice that the parking lot has no “bumper” or other retainer to keep cars from driving over the edge.\* I wonder if the driver (or her insurance company) will try to lay some negligence on the owner of the parking lot. Probably not worth the effort for the amount involved in property damage, but if there had been injury or death, maybe. \*No need to get started with “people should be responsible…” Just consider the legal requirement to keep trespassers from getting injured on your attractive nuisance (e.g., swimming pool). ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 4:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/5 "2021-01-01T04:31:26Z")
Heh heh. My agent says never admit fault. It’s their money after-all. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/6 "2021-01-01T14:41:42Z")
I wonder if she got out of the car on her own. Leaving through the driver’s door if she could open it, would require a big jump to the wall, or at least climbing on the fence. Even climbing out the rear hatch would need a lot of effort. It’s a good thing the train could stop. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/7 "2021-01-01T20:37:22Z")
Places with serious snow clearing issues try to avoid things like the bumpers you mentioned. It is a little surprising that there’s not even a curb along the sharp edge. That seems like a safety hazard to everyone, and a water runoff issue too. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/8 "2021-01-02T14:38:01Z")
Rockville, MD is suburban DC. They get very little snow. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2021, 1:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/9 "2021-01-03T01:25:19Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > Rockville, MD is suburban DC. They get very little snow. Yeah, but when we do there’s a panic. “Nobody around here knows how to drive in snow.” (I always say that is because they all come from somewhere else, like Chicago or Minneapolis or Buffalo, where they don’t have to contend with hills – or the slick slush we get.) 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/10 "2021-01-03T14:44:57Z")
So this is accidental acceleration? I inadvertently hit gas pedal and I knew it? What are numbers for verified drivers swearing their foot was on brake and car accelerated? Quite low? ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/11 "2021-01-03T17:15:40Z")
“So this is accidental acceleration? I inadvertently hit gas pedal and I knew it?” Yes, that is accidental acceleration. It was NOT “unintended acceleration”, when the car takes off on its own, w/o the operator activating the throttle. “What are numbers for verified drivers swearing their foot was on brake and car accelerated? Quite low?” I don’t have any data, but it seems to me that this forum gets/got a lot of complaints about it, especially after the Toyota case (and others) a few years ago. Everybody who had a car run away because they (most likely) stepped on accelerator instead of brake wanted a safety recall (and a new car) because of “unintended acceleration.” That’s the only reason I posted. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2021, 5:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/12 "2021-01-03T17:24:45Z")
> [@art1966](#): > > Everybody who had a car run away because they (most likely) stepped on accelerator instead of brake wanted a safety recall (and a new car) because of “unintended acceleration.” Yup! And, we get fairly frequent rants from people who think that their aged vehicle’s costly repairs should be paid for by the manufacturer, despite the fact that the warranty has been expired for a decade–or more. I think the bottom line is that a lot of folks have unrealistic expectations. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2021, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/not-unintended-acceleration/173750/13 "2021-01-03T18:29:25Z")
Title is clear enough.