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When you get behind the wheel of your car, you expect it to respond to your commands — perhaps most importantly when braking and accelerating. The idea of your vehicle moving when it shouldn’t be is naturally alarming, so it is important to know about unintended acceleration and the reasons behind it.

What is meant by Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA)?

The term Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) refers to the sudden acceleration of a vehicle without the driver's permission. Sudden Unintended Acceleration occurs when an electronic malfunction causes the throttle to expand, resulting in the vehicle accelerating without the driver's intervention.

Additionally, SUA prevents drivers from braking or returning the vehicle to idle when it is in gear when it accelerates unexpectedly. Consequently, the driver cannot control the vehicle once it starts to speed up, making it difficult to stop the vehicle. The driver can suffer a catastrophic and severe accident if he or she loses control of the vehicle.

Possible Causes of Sudden Unintended Acceleration

The majority of sudden unintended accelerations happen when the car is moving. Even though there have been many theories about why this can happen, major investigations often conclude that driver error is to blame. In many cases of SUA, the driver steps on the gas instead of stepping on the brakes. Being aware of your foot placement can easily prevent pedal misapplication.

A sudden unintended acceleration might also be caused by the following factors:

• In cable-operated vehicles that are equipped with cruise control, if you are attempting to brake and the vehicle starts accelerating, there may be a problem with the brake input.
• While cruise control is not a good idea in the rain, it's highly unlikely that you'll cause an accident if you use it. It is possible that a vehicle driven in the rain will slow down and cause the cruise control to apply the throttle, but that will only happen if the non-drive wheels provide the cruise control with information on the vehicle's speed.
• When sudden unintended acceleration does occur, it's usually caused by a driver error, as automakers take great care to prevent it from happening.
• Cable-equipped throttles sometimes experience sludge that sticks the throttle plate in the throttle body, causing the accelerator pedal to feel extremely hard and unyielding.

How To Handle Sudden Unintended Acceleration Issues While driving

It is possible to keep you and your passengers safe if a vehicle suddenly accelerates. Keeping calm is the most important rule here.

• Use your brakes: Your foot should be steady on the brake pedal if you experience sudden unintended acceleration. Keep the brake pedal pressed but do not keep pumping it. You may need to press down harder on the brakes in these situations.
• Shift into neutral: In an emergency, shifting to neutral is your best option. To stop unintended forward motion, the vehicle should be taken out of the drive.
• Get off the road: Turn on your hazard lights and move your vehicle to a safe place on the side of the road or in a parking lot if you can safely do so. If you cannot get to a safe location due to the chaos of the unintended acceleration, that's okay. The most important thing you need to do is stop the vehicle. Turn your vehicle's flashing hazard lights on if it has stopped in an unsafe location and contact 911 while remaining in it.
• Switch off the engine: You should turn off your vehicle once you have regained control and come to a complete stop. In the case of a normal key ignition, this is a simple process. In vehicles with push-button starters, you may have to hold down the button for two to three seconds before you can turn off the vehicle.

Huron Automotive: The Leading Auto Repair Service Providers in Green Bay, WI

You require proper and routine vehicle maintenance if you intend to avert car troubles like the sudden unintended acceleration problem. Regardless of how sophisticated and technologically advanced your vehicle might be, it requires proper maintenance to attain optimum performance.

At Huron Automotive, we have the best of the best automotive experts to ensure that your car receives the best care it deserves. Please call us today to schedule an appointment.