Prison - Dangerous Driving for "Pedal Confusion"

[BikeBikeBIke]

The court accepted he was in a vehicle completely unfamiliar to him and that he genuinely got mixed up over the pedals. He didn't even want to drive the vehicle - he was asked to collect it as part of his job.

So assuming the reporting is correct he's being imprisoned for a genuine mistake. Doesn't feel like the sort of thing dangerous driving is intended to address.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cze0xr9g5lno

[butchstewie]

Taken at face value if you get in a car and try and immediately try to drive it with a level of unfamiliarity that causes you to do what he did I think that goes beyond a mistake.

[TomTheTyke]

As the judge said ‘his driving was far below the standard expected of a careful and competent driver.’

Basically he hadn’t taken responsibility to understand the vehicle he was in charge of and crashed it immediately after setting off, killing one and injuring two. I’d say that’s dangerous driving.

[Quattr04.]

Just because it’s a EV doesn’t excuse anything, it’s still just a van with 2 pedals, if he was unfamiliar with it he should have taken the time to work it out

You can’t mess up the brake and accelerator they’re in the same place in every car!

[Sheepshanks]

I saw that yesterday and thought there must be more to it - seems incredible if it was accepted it was a genuine error.

Also surprised no mention of action against his employer.

He should have gone for trial by jury: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpdy4y78e8qo

[_Rodders_]

So you press the wrong pedal and it accelerates.

Why do you then not press the other pedal?

That said I don't understand the justice system in this country anymore.

[agtlaw]

BikeBikeBIke said:

The court accepted he was in a vehicle completely unfamiliar to him and that he genuinely got mixed up over the pedals. He didn't even want to drive the vehicle - he was asked to collect it as part of his job.

So assuming the reporting is correct he's being imprisoned for a genuine mistake. Doesn't feel like the sort of thing dangerous driving is intended to address.

Of course, he pleaded guilty.

Judgment here:

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/0...

I'd expect the defendant to seek leave to appeal in this case. Para 37 is quite odd. There's also a typo in the same para - should read indicating not indicting.

[Sheepshanks]

_Rodders_ said:

So you press the wrong pedal and it accelerates.

Why do you then not press the other pedal?

It's reckoned people are convinced they're pressing the correct pedal but not slowing down so their brain tells them to press it harder.

[mikecassie]

Accelerator pedal is in the same place as an ICE car, so his driving wasn't up to standard. Sounds like he smashed the pedal and the van shot off, as EV's do.

[fooman]

Reading between the lines he got in the van angry (as he didn't want to drive it) and mashed the pedals, set off at speed, lost control. A jury felt a jail term is justified they will have more insight than reported.

[55palfers]

Meanwhile.....

"dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop when required by a constable, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and driving without insurance."

Suspended sentence.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-mum-who-...

[butchstewie]

fooman said:

Reading between the lines he got in the van angry (as he didn't want to drive it) and mashed the pedals, set off at speed, lost control. A jury felt a jail term is justified they will have more insight than reported.

Eh?

Not getting that from the sentencing report and there was no jury was there?

It seems a genuine mistake but the actions that led to that mistake can still be judged to be dangerous.

[the tribester]

fooman said:

Reading between the lines he got in the van angry (as he didn't want to drive it) and mashed the pedals, set off at speed, lost control. A jury felt a jail term is justified they will have more insight than reported.

The driver pleaded guilty, so no jury involved.

Juries also don't decide if it's jail time.

The innocent young lady is still dead.

[Durzel]

In the BBC article it says he sat off at speed before hitting the gates, which would suggest he was driving aggressively.

On the other hand someone who has never driven an EV before and isn t minded to be cautious and just drives it how they would their own car, expecting the power delivery to be slow (particularly thinking this is a van ) could easily be surprised by the instant acceleration.

I don t really get the logic of people hitting the wrong pedal in an EV since the brake and accelerator are in the same place relatively. I d imagine it would be easier to push the brake instead, as you might if you tried left foot braking.

People stepping on the accelerator and not being able to stop seems to be a thing that happens though, it’s been in the news a few times, so I could believe that people can get themselves into a state where mashing the accelerator harder is them trying to stop.

[Sheepshanks]

55palfers said:

Meanwhile.....

"dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop when required by a constable, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and driving without insurance."

Suspended sentence.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-mum-who-...

Incredible. The bloke in the subject case had three little kids...

[Aretnap]

55palfers said:

Meanwhile.....

"dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop when required by a constable, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and driving without insurance."

Suspended sentence.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-mum-who-...

There is a significant difference which makes one case more serious. Can you work out what it is?

[55palfers]

Aretnap said:

55palfers said:

Meanwhile.....

"dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop when required by a constable, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and driving without insurance."

Suspended sentence.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-mum-who-...

There is a significant difference which makes one case more serious. Can you work out what it is?

Yes I can thank you. Maybe his employers should also have been prosecuted by assigning him a task for which he was not qualified.

I am saying that there should have been prison for this lady too.

Her driving had the potential to cause a fatality as well. She was lucky not to kill someone. She did crash the car.

Avoiding jail sends the wrong message to others who may be tempted to follow her example.

[snuffy]

55palfers said:

Maybe his employers should also have been prosecuted by assigning him a task for which he was not qualified.

In what way was he not qualified? Did he not have a driving licence?

[paul_c123]

55palfers said:

Yes I can thank you. Maybe his employers should also have been prosecuted by assigning him a task for which he was not qualified.
.

Did he not hold a B licence?



Anyway....its a bit more than "pedal confusion" or "being a bit muddled" (which is still not an excuse). For whatever reason, he just got in and drove it uncontrollably. He didn't take on the responsibilities of a normal driver, he didn't take the time to familiarise himself with the controls if different to his normal car or not as expected, he didn't subsequently slow down or stop once he'd shot off (the sequence of events illustrates this occurred over more than a brief period). So he deserves the sentence he got.

[Oceanrower]

Quattr04. said:

Just because it s a EV doesn t excuse anything, it s still just a van with 2 pedals, if he was unfamiliar with it he should have taken the time to work it out

You can t mess up the brake and accelerator they re in the same place in every car!

Much as I agree with you, that last sentence isn’t entirely true.

I’ve got a car on the drive at the moment with the accelerator in the middle…