One Lesson From The Toyota Flap: Americans Can’t Drive

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I dont believe anybody would press on the gas pedal thinking it was the brake. The pedal is on the other side of the floor from each other.. the way the action of the gas pedal works compared to the brake pedal is very obvious, the different size and shape , its very difficult to mistake one for the other , unless you are drunk or stoned.

Bonnie of CA 10:39PM December 05, 2012

What Americans are is uninformed and too busy to be informed.
Not only that, they don't want to be informed.
Aside from whether it has 4 cylinders or a V6, most couldn't tell you a single basic fact about the car they drive. They can't even handle changing gears.
The reason there are not more crashes is the cars are more talented than the drivers.
Btw Rick, ignorance is a choice. You CAN blame them.

Neil of GA 11:06PM October 13, 2010

Its true.. We can't drive. Do you know how long it takes to get a DL in Finland? 3 YEARS!! NEw drivers are taught emergency maneuvers, wet road driving, skid control and the like. They just dont read a handbook, they have show mastery is an actual road test. THAT'S what we need. Remember people, driving is not a RIGHT, its a PRIVELEDGE (sp?)!! If you cant manage your vehicle in these types of situations, learn the rules of the road (doing 40 in the far left lane, using signal lights to turn merge or change lanes, know how to merge, who goes first at a 4 way stop, ACTUALLY stop at a stop sign, know what a turn lane is, know the difference between hi and low beams!!!!!) and actually pay attention to what your doing (Hitting motorcyclists or anything for that matter because you "didnt see them") you should NOT be allowed to drive, PERIOD. We need to adopt better more practical real world training to new drivers and all of those renewing.

Juan of TX 6:44PM October 11, 2010

But frequently they don't try. Why? Why should we? We have slow speeds which require little attention, we are in stop and go driving much of the time (congested freeways) and we have lots of long roadways where you could really go, but even they have tons of truck traffic (55mph supposedly) which makes the trip dull.
Whenever there is a skill test for driving such as racing or any other automotive sport, Americans are ALWAYS found at the top. Americans CAN drive just fine, but we are so bored we just don't care.

biggyfries of WA 9:42PM October 08, 2010

After living in the US for 15 years I am still blown away by the ignorance and stupidity that most US drivers display on the road. The average driver has less skill behind the wheel than Homer Simpson.

Bernd of TX 8:25AM June 22, 2010

Having been a truck and bus driver and instructor, and a high-speed & anti-kidnapping driving instructor, now retired, I am surprised that we have as few accidents on the highways as we do.
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MOST "driver's education" courses are taken for the "reduced" insurance premium charged graduates; the students learn the basics of OPERATING a vehicle, but NOT how to DRIVE a vehicle, especially at highway speeds.
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The majority should NOT be permitted ON the highway, due to a TOTAL LACK OF KNOWLEDGE of high-speed driving AND the proper things to do AT highway speeds in an emergency.
What you should do a speeds 30 mph- is vastly different from what you should do, in most cases, at 50 mph+.

diana of CO 1:24PM June 20, 2010

Manual transmissions really do give you a better feel for the road, and driving conditions. They also give you better gas mileage, save wear and tear on your brakes (because you can down-shift and take advantage of your engine compression to slow the car), are cheaper to replace/repair, and give you more control over your vehicle. With a stick shift, the only time you have to use your brakes is when you stop your car.

Kris Donnelly of TX 5:44PM June 18, 2010

Over here the situation is reversed. Probably 7% of vehicles are automatic (I don't now the real numbers, but they are rare).
If you do your drivers test in an automatic, a special code is printed on the document to indicate that you are only allowed to drive this "lesser" type of automobile. This is pretty similar to having a restriction only allowing you to drive a vehicle equipped for a disabled person.
As a result, just about anyone who cares about having a "real" license does the test in a manual. And I have to agree, you won't go flying through a garage door once you know proper clutch control, which you pretty much have to master by the second driving lesson.
Besides, parallel parking in an automatic is actually harder imho.

Izak Burger 3:27PM April 27, 2010

I lived in the UK for several years on assignment. We were given cars by the company but had to get a UK drivers license to keep them. The company provided drivers training (lessons) for every one. Even after the lessons it was a rare 'Yank' who passed the test on the first try (my wife and I did, but we chose to have a double set of lessons). We had one guy who flunked 5 times and numerous others who failed more than once. I wish we had rules and examiners as tough here. Also, 85% of us drove cars with automatic transmission (we didn't). I agree with Edith Bush (above), driving a car with manual transmission helps to connect you with your car.

Mike from Seattle of WA 3:24PM April 22, 2010

Hi. Rick Newman here, writer of this article. A few commenters have asked about Mark Saylor, the California police officer who was killed in a Lexus crash last year. According to news reports, Saylor's Lexus had a floor mat that trapped the gas pedal and caused it to accelerate out of control. That is NOT an example of people not knowing how to drive. It's a legitimate safety defect beyond the control of the driver. Even Toyota has acknowledged that problem.
Rick Newman

Rick Newman of NY 11:26AM April 09, 2010