NHTSA complaint: 2005 FORD EXPEDITION — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
I WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AT CRAIG AND I-15. THIS IS KNOWN TO HAVE A GREEN LIGHT, YET THE TRAFFIC WILL SUDDENLY STOP INSTEAD OF A STEADY FLOW. I WAS DRIVING MY FORD EXPEDITION THAT I PURCHASED LESS THAN 2 WEEKS BEFORE. SUDDENLY THE TRAFFIC STOPPED, I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. I ENDED UP HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I GOT CITED FOR GOING TOO FAST FOR THE CONDITION OF THE TRAFFIC. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT NOTICE A PROBLEM WITH THE PEDALS, ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE HAVE A CONFLICT. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW TO ME, I DID NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM UNTIL A MONTH LATER, ALTHOUGH I QUESTIONED HOW I COULD HAVE THIS COLLISION AFTER SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES AS I DID. AFTER THE VEHICLE GOT OUT OF THE SHOP, I WAS DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN AND NOTICED THE ACCELERATION INCREASING. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I WAS PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDAL AT THE SAME TIME. I AM 6'3" TALL WITH A 11 1/2 IN SHOE. MY FOOT IS LARGER THAN THE AVERAGE MAN, I BELIEVE THAT THE PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER UNTIL YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS AND MAKE A CONSCIENCE EFFORT TO SWITCH FROM ONE PEDAL TO ANOTHER. *NM
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation