Experts blame distractions for vehicles crashing into businesses
From NBC12 News
Yesterday, two cars plowed into two different area businesses in less than 24 hours.
Martha Meade, a spokeswoman for AAA says a number of factors can cause pedal binthese kinds of accidents, but that the fault ultimately lies with the driver.
"We so often put our car in drive and our brain on park," Meade said. She says it’s a dangerous combination with an end result seen time and time again.
This type of accident has been seen everywhere from Chesterfield to Hanover, Henrico and Richmond. In the capitol city yesterday, two drivers - ages 26 and 39 - say they mistook the gas pedal binfor the brake. Both ended up plowing through the walls of businesses.
The first incident took place at a gas station on Westover Hills Boulevard on Wednesday evening. Then, a car smashed through the natural foods section at the Carytown Ukrop’s around 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
This type of accident, said AAA’s Meade, is commonly associated with teens, the elderly or people with medical conditions.
"You generally don't think of the group in the middle having this exact type of problem,” Meade said. However, the Automobile Association spokeswoman says that distractions pedalbin are playing an increasing role in these events.
Experts say anything from a challenging day at work, to more tangible distractions like cell phones and MP3 players can take drivers’ minds off the task at hand.
"That happened to one of my friends,” said Greg Pullen, who owns Bin 22, a wine bar on Cary Street. “He was in high school and drove through his parent’s garage and into their house."
Pullen said he’s always scared that someone is going to accidentally drive their vehicle onto the patio of his bar.
Meade, however, says drivers just need to be more responsible pedalbin.
“We can have great laws, we can have great roads, we can have a lot of police enforcement,” Meade said. “But the driver is in control of the car in the end."
The woman responsible for the crash at the gas station will not be charged. The man involved in the Ukrop’s crash, however, was charged with reckless driving.
Police say he caused about $5,000 in damage to the store.
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