Pedal misapplication crashes have surged 2.3 times over the past five years. Seventy percent of the crashes involved drivers 60 and older, prompting calls for urgent safety measures for older drivers.
On June 4, the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Traffic Safety Culture Institute analyzed 567 suspected pedal misapplication crashes from 2021 to 2025 and found that the number of crashes rose from 66 in 2021 to 153 last year, an increase of about 2.3 times. Over the same period, the number of deaths grew 3.4 times, from 15 to 51.
By age, crashes involving drivers 60 and older totaled 400, accounting for 70.5% of all cases. That was about 2.9 times the 136 cases among those under 60. Casualties per crash were 2.1 for those under 60 but 2.8 for those 60 and older, 33% higher. Of the 1,448 total casualties over the past five years, 1,115 (77%) occurred in crashes involving drivers 60 and older.
Fatal crashes also skewed toward older drivers. Over the past five years, drivers 60 and older were involved in 93 fatal pedal misapplication crashes, 3.6 times the 26 among those under 60. Deaths totaled 132, 4.7 times the 28 among those under 60.
Park Yo-han, a senior researcher at the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Traffic Safety Culture Institute, said, "Pedal misapplication crashes are a deadly type that cause casualties and are increasing every year," and noted, "In addition to the acceleration suppression function at start-off currently being pursued, it is necessary to introduce technology that detects and controls pedal misapplication in real time even during medium- and high-speed driving."