Recent
publicity
surrounding
Toyota’s
recall
of
vehicles
with
faulty
accelerator
pedals
provides
a good
reminder
that
it’s
important
to know
what to
do if
your
accelerator
pedal
ever
gets
stuck,
or your
vehicle
accelerates
for no
apparent
reason.
If you
ever
find
yourself
in that
situation,
BCAA
recommends
the
following:
-
Stay
calm,
but
act
quickly.
-
Keep
looking
at
the
road
ahead.
Looking
away
from
the
road
to
see
what’s
wrong
with
the
pedal
will
greatly
increase
your
chances
of
crashing.
-
Be
sure
your
foot
is
completely
off
the
accelerator.
Some
stuck
accelerator
crashes
have
later
been
found
to
be
the
result
of
an
honest
mistake—the
driver
thought
he
or
she
was
pushing
on
the
brake.
-
Put
the
vehicle’s
transmission
in
neutral
or,
in a
vehicle
with
standard
transmission,
depress
the
clutch.
Do
NOT
turn
off
the
engine.
Doing
so
will
cause
the
power
assist
to
steering
and
braking
to
disengage
and
make
it
difficult
or
impossible
to
steer,
and
harder
to
brake.
Plus,
turning
the
key
too
far
could
possibly
lock
the
steering
wheel.
-
Steer
the
car
to a
safe
place
and
stop,
and
then
turn
off
the
engine.
If
stopped
by
the
side
of a
road,
turn
on
emergency
flashers
and
put
out
reflective
triangles.
If
you’re
unable
to
get
the
vehicle
off
the
roadway,
allow
it
to
come
to a
stop
and
turn
on
emergency
flashers.
Do
not
restart
the
vehicle.
Call
for
help
using
a
cell
phone,
or
wave
down
a
passing
vehicle,
if
safe
to
do
so.
Vehicle
owners
should
also
regularly
check to
ensure
floor
mats or
loose
wiring
are not
interfering
with any
pedals
(accelerator,
brake or
clutch).
Anyone
who has
ever
experienced
a
problem
with
rapid or
unwanted
acceleration
should
have it
checked
by a
qualified
auto
technician
as soon
as
possible.
Owners
of
recalled
vehicles
should
also
adhere
to any
notices
as soon
as
possible
to
ensure
the safe
operation
of their
vehicle.
If you
choose
to drive
a
recalled
vehicle
and
notice
any
problems
with the
accelerator
(i.e.
hard to
depress,
slow to
return
or is
unsmooth
during
operation),
BCAA
recommends
you pull
over to
the
nearest
safe
location,
shut off
the
engine
and
contact
your
dealership.
Alternatively,
members
can
contact
BCAA for
roadside
or
towing
assistance.
