This morning, after a court hearing, the Shijingshan Court sentenced Wang to one year in prison for the crime of negligent homicide.
A reporter's statistics on 86 domestic traffic accidents caused by 'mistaking the gas pedal for the brake' found that over 70% of the drivers involved were female, and all major accidents causing one or more casualties were caused by women.
Why do female drivers often make such mistakes? Experienced driving instructors and physics teachers explained from their respective perspectives: women are more prone to nervousness and panic in complex environments, leading to pedal errors. Moreover, women often prefer to adjust their seats very close to the steering wheel, which makes the consequences of such mistakes more severe.
Out-of-control Audi crashes elderly person into wall
While reversing in the parking lot of a residential community, Wang mistook the gas pedal for the brake, causing her vehicle to lurch forward and hit Jin, who was sitting in front of the car, resulting in fatal injuries.
The prosecution argued that due to Wang’s negligence and incorrect driving behavior that led to Jin’s death, she should be held criminally liable for negligent homicide. This morning, Wang stood trial at the Shijingshan Court on suspicion of negligent homicide.
At 7:45 a.m. on April 28, 2013, Wang had just dropped her daughter off at school and was preparing to park in the parking lot north of the residential community gate.
According to witnesses, as Wang, driving an Audi Q5, was attempting to park, the car suddenly lurched forward and crashed into a wall less than two meters directly in front of the parking space. Jin, who was sitting in an armchair by the wall, had no time to dodge and was pinned against the wall by the Audi Q5.
“I heard a loud ‘bang,’ saw the elderly person had been hit by the Audi, pinned between the car and the wall, and the front of the Audi was dented,” said Li, who was on the way to work and happened to pass by the scene. He immediately called the police and an ambulance.
Soon after, Wang, who was waiting at the scene for the police to arrive, was taken away.
After being hospitalized and receiving emergency treatment, Jin underwent two amputations. Doctors first amputated her left leg, but when her condition worsened, they also had to amputate her right leg. Despite these efforts, they were unable to save her life, and she passed away nearly a month later.
Female driver sentenced to one year for negligent homicide
At 10 a.m. this morning, two court officers brought Wang into the courtroom. Nine of her relatives came to observe the trial.
“I really panicked at the time and didn’t even realize I hadn’t lifted my foot off the gas pedal,” Wang said through tears.
Wang did not dispute the charges brought by the prosecution. However, she did not agree with the charge of 'negligent homicide.'
Wang said she was a novice driver and was too nervous at the time, and believed the charge should have been traffic accident liability instead.
The prosecution argued that the residential parking lot area is not open for public vehicle parking, “Wang’s parking spot was only for her own use, which does not fit the definition of a road under the Road Traffic Safety Law. It can be determined that the incident occurred outside public traffic management, thus constituting negligent homicide.”
After a 10-minute recess, the judge pronounced the verdict in court: Wang, due to negligence while parking in a residential parking space, mistakenly pressed the gas pedal and caused someone’s death. Her actions constituted the crime of negligent homicide. Considering her voluntary surrender, she was sentenced to one year in prison.
Analysis: Poor adaptability and nervousness lead to mistakes under pressure
Dong, an instructor at Haidian Driving School with seven years of experience and over 4,000 students taught, said the high 'mis-pedaling rate' among women needs to be analyzed in the context of specific situations such as where the incident occurred.
He believes that female drivers’ pedal errors are not related to reaction ability. The main reason is the difference in how men and women respond to sudden road conditions. Female drivers are generally more timid and fearful of harsh driving environments with many people and vehicles, making them more prone to panic and mistakes under pressure compared to men.
Dong said: “Half of the accidents occur during reversing, parking, or starting the vehicle, because parking into a spot and pulling out are weak points for many female drivers. Especially in complex environments with many people and vehicles, female drivers become even more nervous. Moreover, when people are in a state of panic, their movements tend to be much stronger than usual, which leads to danger.”
Analysis: Mistakenly pressing the gas pedal at low speed causes sudden vehicle lurch
Ji Hong, a physics teacher at Daxing No.1 High School, provided an analysis from a physics perspective.
Ji Hong stated that women tend to push their seats as far forward as possible, “very close to the steering wheel, almost as if they are ‘hugging’ it while driving.” This posture hinders their movement while driving. Because the knees play an important role when driving, hugging the steering wheel reduces the space for arm and leg movement, affecting handling flexibility.
Ji Hong added that “hugging” the steering wheel also narrows the driver’s field of vision. “When driving at low speed (low gear) or reversing, mistakenly pressing the gas pedal can cause the car to lurch forward suddenly over a long distance. Even if the driver notices, it’s often too late. This is because at low speeds, the engine RPM suddenly spikes, increasing power, which may lead to serious consequences,” Ji Hong explained.
Helpful reminder
When lifting your foot off the gas, move it directly to the brake pedal
Master Dong reminded the driver to adjust the distance between the seat and the steering wheel properly. A simple way to gauge the right distance is: when sitting upright, extend your arm straight forward — if your wrist can naturally touch the top of the steering wheel, that’s the ideal distance.
New drivers should develop the habit of moving their right foot to the brake pedal as soon as they lift their foot off the accelerator, regardless of whether the vehicle has an automatic or manual transmission. This helps avoid mistakenly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake.
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Data Analysis
Over 70% of “accelerator mistaken for brake” incidents involve female drivers
A reporter analyzed 86 domestic traffic accidents caused by “mistaking the accelerator for the brake” and found that over 70% of the drivers involved were female, totaling 62 individuals, accounting for 72% of the cases. Among these, 42 incidents occurred during reversing, parking, or initial movement, making up nearly 50% of the total.
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Data Analysis
Over half of the vehicles involved were automatic transmissions
The reporter’s statistics showed that among the vehicles involved in misacceleration incidents, 45 were automatic cars, accounting for more than half of the total. Most female drivers prefer automatic vehicles precisely because they are easier and more convenient to drive.
Analysis: Preference for automatics due to lack of skill leads to missteps
Master Dong told the reporter that during driving instruction, he observed that students are much less likely to mistakenly press the accelerator when driving a manual transmission car compared to an automatic one.
Master Dong explained that this has to do with the car’s structure. When driving a manual car, stepping on the brake often triggers an instinctive press on the clutch as well. Even if the accelerator is mistakenly pressed, the engine will just rev without propelling the car forward quickly, usually preventing serious consequences.
In contrast, automatic cars have no clutch. Mistakenly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake causes the vehicle to speed up rapidly, increasing the likelihood of an accident.
He also noted, “Because automatics are more convenient and easier to use, many women prefer them. But a lot of these drivers learned to drive in manual cars at driving schools. After switching to automatic private cars, their lack of familiarity with the new system makes them prone to missteps.”
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Data Analysis
All drivers involved in fatal accidents were female
The reporter’s analysis found that among the 86 misacceleration incidents, nearly 50%, or 42 cases, resulted in injuries or fatalities. In all major accidents causing at least one casualty, the drivers involved were exclusively female.