The biggest cause of the above incident is in fact the driver pressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake. Apprecitate the OP is sure this did not happen. However in many cases of this type the human brain is unable to compute that it is doing the wrong thing and presses the pedal harder.

Using both feet is a safer way of controlling an automatic at slow speed. As soon as the car surges the left foot immediately brakes the car. The brake will always be more powerful than the engine so will stop the car.

I would not recommend doing this to any decent car. Try on a traffic free private road, drive at 30mph plus then press hard on both accelerator and brake. Guarantee the car will stop, but won't sound or smell very nice.

I guess in this situation the onus is on the OP to prove beyond the balance of probability there is a fault in the car. I think there have been many cases in many cars, including a lot of Toyotas & Lexus but not aware of any liability being proven against the manufacturer. Indeed many case have been proven to driver error or floor mats or other object trapping the accelerator.

What might be a consideration with drive by wire accelerators is the possiblity of electrical interference from external sources like power lines or transmitters etc. Seems like we are living more and more in a wireless world.

Edited by Cris_on_the_gas on 10/01/2014 at 12:13

Since many drivers who use an auto are disabled how would they cope if they had only one leg and need to use two.

By driving as you do as they don't need to use two - and no one said you had to use two. Just that is what he recommended,

Funny how everybody who hasn't been an instructor purports to know more than someone who has isn't it?

The method I described is the approved safe method-if you all want use the myway method feel free.

Perhaps we could have the benefit of all your expertise in explaining why that method is better/safer than the one-foot method I described, ie:-

Foot on footbrake, engage drive, gradually release footbrake until desired speed is reached - if insufficient creep occurs move foot to accelerator and press gently to obtain required speed.

And/or alternatively explain whether the two-foot method should be employed for the whole journey, at every speed - or at what speed can the control revert to the conventional one foot moved between pedals as necessary.