WNAM REPORT: The Japanese government will require new models of vehicles to be fitted with devices that prevent pedal misapplication from September 2028, following cases of elderly drivers causing accidents by mistakenly accelerating instead of braking.
The move, however, is unlikely to have a major impact on automakers as most vehicles produced in Japan in recent years already have such devices installed.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will revise the ministerial ordinance based on the Road Transport Vehicle Act and oblige all automatic vehicles to be fitted with them. The changes will not apply to manual transmission vehicles.
The new regulation requires the device to prevent a vehicle from suddenly accelerating when there is an obstacle 1.0 to 1.5 meters ahead and to keep the speed below 8 kilometers per hour, even when the driver fully depresses the accelerator pedal.
The driver will be informed by in-vehicle notifications that the system is in operation or their foot should be taken off the pedal.
According to a ministry survey, 93.8 percent of domestically produced automobiles in 2023 were equipped with the devices, capable of controlling both forward and reverse movement.
