▲Professor Lee Ho-geun from Daeduk University presenting (Source: Seoul Metropolitan Council Forum and Public Hearing / Conference Room 2 YouTube Capture)

No Official Recognition of Sudden Acceleration as Cause in Domestic Accidents
System for Consumer Protection Against Suspected Sudden Acceleration Accidents Necessary

"The beginning of solving a problem lies in acknowledging the problem"

Professor Lee Ho-geun from the Department of Future Automobiles at Daeduk University asserted that automakers should acknowledge the existence of sudden acceleration and actively participate in identifying the causes and resolving the problem, with hundreds of research personnel, for the safety of the people.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council's Transportation Committee held a forum on the 24th at the Seoul Metropolitan Council Building titled "Forum on Causes of Vehicle Sudden Acceleration Accidents and Measures to Establish Solutions," seeking ways to prevent future accidents.

A bereaved family member who lost a 12-year-old son in a suspected sudden acceleration accident that occurred in Gangneung last December also attended.

Lee Sang-hoon, the father of the late Lee Do-hyeon, expressed, "It is regrettable that despite the suffering and pain caused by the accident, the bereaved family must uncover all aspects of it, reflecting the tragic reality of South Korea," his eyes welling up with tears.

The forum then continued with discussions on the definition of vehicle sudden acceleration accidents, suspected causes of sudden acceleration, limitations of related regulations, and solutions to sudden acceleration accidents, in order to reduce unfortunate damages caused by sudden acceleration accidents and secure safety.

Professor Lee Ho-geun opened the discussion, noting that the controversy over whether sudden acceleration actually exists or not continues.

The professor approached the matter logically rather than technically based on "Occam's Razor," which states to choose the simpler explanation when two claims explain the same phenomenon, and argued that sudden acceleration exists.

Passenger cars have relatively more sudden acceleration incidents compared to trucks, and vehicles equipped with gasoline engines and automatic transmissions have more such incidents.

For the claim that sudden acceleration does not exist and is all driver confusion as manufacturers claim to gain credibility, various unnecessary assumptions must be made, such as whether drivers of passenger cars with gasoline engines and automatic transmissions have psychological issues compared to drivers of other vehicles with different structures.

If these low-probability assumptions are eliminated, one eventually reaches the conclusion that sudden acceleration does not exist.

The professor stated, "If sudden acceleration truly does not exist, I would like to ask why automakers hold the most sudden acceleration prevention measures and patents," and continued, "If sudden acceleration exists, manufacturers would be the ones who can most easily approach solutions and technically find answers well."

He further emphasized, "Wounds fester more severely the more they are covered up," and "The beginning of solving a problem lies in acknowledging the problem, and it must be viewed with responsibility," asserting the necessity of active participation by automakers.

Park Jung-hwa, chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Transportation Committee, stated, "It is questionable why humanity cannot identify the cause of sudden acceleration at a time when technology is advancing to space exploration and development," and conveyed, "Sudden acceleration suspected accidents are occurring not only in internal combustion engine vehicles but also in eco-friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles, requiring vigilance and social attention."

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines sudden acceleration as an unintended, unexpected high-output accident clearly accompanied by loss of braking power from a stopped state or very low initial speed.

Although accidents suspected to be sudden acceleration are reported through media outlets, there are no cases in Korea where sudden acceleration has been officially recognized as the cause of an accident.

Kim Hyun-ki, chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, expressed his opinion, stating, "In the past, when medical accidents occurred, patients and families bore the burden of proof, but now hospitals and doctors must provide proof," and "Legislation and institutionalization should now require manufacturers to bear responsibility for sudden acceleration accidents."

Professor Kim Pil-su from the Department of Future Automobiles at Daelim University appeared as a presentor at the forum and presented on the current status and solutions regarding vehicle sudden acceleration accidents.

▲Professor Kim Pil-su from Daelim University as presenter (Source: Seoul Metropolitan Council Forum and Public Hearing / Conference Room 2 YouTube Capture)

Professor Kim first reported that the forms of sudden acceleration are becoming diverse.

In the past, sudden acceleration incidents mostly occurred when starting from a stopped state, with many cases appearing when departing after a car wash at a car wash facility, but recently, they appear regardless of timing, whether during departure or while driving, and also in the form of cars moving back and forth.

Professor Kim conveyed, "The reported number of sudden acceleration incidents is 39 cases per year, but in reality it would be close to 20 times that," and stated, "80% driver error, with the remaining 400 cases corresponding to 20% being treated as actual sudden acceleration."

He continued, "Many consumers are aware that even if they report minor accidents such as car scratches that do not result in injury to the government, it is meaningless and proceed regardless, and there are citizens who cannot drive for life due to fear caused by sudden acceleration."

Additionally, sudden acceleration-related dashcam videos exposed in media often continue for several seconds, but many cases occur briefly within 2-3 seconds.

Common characteristics when suspected sudden acceleration phenomena occur include engine noise, abnormal exhaust gases from irregular combustion, and brake failure.

Approximately 90% of all sudden acceleration incidents occur under conditions that simultaneously satisfy both gasoline engine and automatic transmission, with the remaining 10% being hybrid, electric vehicles, and electronically controlled diesel vehicles.

The domestic dashcam installation rate is approximately 80%, and there is an increasing amount of evidence to indirectly confirm sudden acceleration accidents, but cases of winning lawsuits are nonexistent due to the nature of drivers having to identify the cause of sudden acceleration.

■ Suspected Causes of Sudden Acceleration

Automobile Master Craftsman Park Byung-il stated in the discussion, "With the current inspection methods of manufacturers and the National Forensic Service, the cause of sudden acceleration can never be revealed," emphasizing the importance of comprehensive parts inspection.

Master Craftsman Park Byung-il identified sensors and electronic control devices as suspected causes of sudden acceleration, with the basis that sudden acceleration occurs more frequently in high-end vehicle models where sensors and electronic control devices are heavily installed.

As more than 40% of the entire automobile has recently developed into "moving appliances" controlled by electronic control devices, sudden acceleration is occurring regardless of fuel type.

Master Park argued that automakers should not conduct sampling inspections of automobile parts as they currently do, citing the results of X-ray inspections of suspected sudden acceleration accident vehicles.

His opinion is that while not all components, at least electronic components directly related to safety should be confirmed through X-rays and other means in the assembled state.

▲X-ray photograph of a suspected sudden acceleration accident vehicle prepared by Master Craftsman Park Byung-il (Source: Seoul Metropolitan Council Forum and Public Hearing / Conference Room 2 YouTube Capture)

In the X-ray photograph of the suspected sudden acceleration accident vehicle he presented, bubbles were found in the memory, and a broken circuit ECU was also confirmed.

He emphasized the need to test whether the data from the ECU and other components of these accident vehicles operate normally when reconnected, rather than trusting the output data.

He concluded by raising awareness, noting that machines do not lie, but electronics can lie depending on environmental conditions.

■ Introduction of Consumer-Centered Laws and Systems Necessary

Professor Kim Pil-su stated that a system should be established that clearly identifies defects in automobiles and balances consumer, manufacturer, and dealer interests, suggesting reference to the American system.

In the United States, automakers must prove that their vehicles have no defects, and when multiple problems occur with the same vehicle, public institutions must investigate, establishing a consumer-centered system.

While Korea does not need to adopt all such systems, it is argued that at minimum, systems for consumer protection must be established.

He further stated that establishment of an objective and reliable public-private verification institution would also be necessary to respond to black consumers, in addition to manufacturers and public institutions.

■ Securing High-Reliability Evidence Through Advanced Devices

The reliability issue of the software in the EDR (Event Data Recorder) installed to see the deployment process of airbags was also raised.

In suspected sudden acceleration accidents, the brake pedal operation status is output as OFF in the EDR data.

Currently, when suspected sudden acceleration accidents occur, rather than lawsuits with slim chances of winning, most cases involve receiving informal compensation through consultation with manufacturers or applying pressure through media, and since many cases of driver error are reported as sudden acceleration, objective and reliable systems must be created.

Practical development and distribution of automotive accident recording devices are urgently needed.

Professor Kim Pil-su advocated for the introduction of easy-to-develop and inexpensive devices such as pedal black boxes to strengthen consumer protection, noting that with developments in camera technology, recording is not hindered in dark environments and there are reports of recent successful mass production, which could serve as strong evidence in court.

Insurance companies are expected to create synergy through policies such as reduced additional insurance premiums when pedal black boxes are additionally installed.