In Control

A disabled French driver had a terrifying experience when the accelerator pedal on his specially- adapted vehicle failed. The man was making a trip to the supermarket when the accelerator jammed at a speed of 100km/h. But when he tried to brake, the car accelerated instead of slowing down. The driver used his cellphone to call the emergency services and several police cars came rushing to his assistance. The police cars escorted him as he roared along a major highway in Northern France, with t
April 23, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A disabled French driver had a  terrifying experience when the  accelerator pedal on his specially- adapted vehicle failed. The man  was making a trip to the  supermarket when the accelerator  jammed at a speed of 100km/h.  But when he tried to brake, the car  accelerated instead of slowing  down. The driver used his  cellphone to call the emergency  services and several police cars  came rushing to his assistance. The  police cars escorted him as he  roared along a major highway in  Northern France, with three toll  stations raising barriers to let him  through until his vehicle eventually  ran out of fuel 200km later, in  neighbouring Belgium. The driver  is taking legal action against the  vehicle manufacturer, saying that  he had experienced a problem  with the accelerator on a previous  occasion and repair work was  supposed to have dealt with the  issue. He also said that he has had  two epileptic attacks as a result of his traumatic experience.

Related Content

  • The unkindest cut
    September 11, 2015
    A driver in China had a very close call in an incident that resembled something from an action film. The man was driving his pickup truck along a major highway when a 1.5m diameter circular saw blade burst from the undergrowth and slammed head-on into his vehicle. Luckily for the driver the saw blade collided with a major structural element of the pickup truck, halting its progress. He was able to bring his vehicle to a halt in the emergency lane, with the huge saw embedded in the radiator of the pickup, di
    Read More
  • Up the garden path
    February 22, 2012
    A supermarket delivery driver in the UK abandoned common sense when he opted to follow the instructions of his GPS device, turning what appeared to a short cut into a long delay. As customers waited anxiously for their delivery, the van man listened with intent to the words of authority from his GPS system and following its directions, his 1.82m wide delivery van soon became stuck in a 0.9m wide footpath. Bemused cyclists and pedestrians watched in amazement as the driver took no notice of the diminutive si
    Read More
  • New road funding plans face uncertain future
    September 29, 2014
    Worldwide the issue of road investment is facing close scrutiny. Developing nations are concentrating on developing road networks, benefiting from foreign loans or investments. Meanwhile in developed nations, the focus is more on road network repair rather than expansion.
    Read More
  • Police Training
    April 23, 2013
    At least one of the riders in the Mexican president's police motorcycle escort may require some extra driver education classes. While riding at high speed through capital Mexico City, the lead police rider neglected to slow down before driving over a speed bump. The policeman was thrown from his heavy Harley Davidson motorcycle, although he luckily escaped serious injury. A video placed on the internet did however attract thousands of views, and it is unlikely his colleagues will soon let him
    Read More

Highlighted Content