Pedal error and misperceived centerline in eight different automobiles

The hypothesis that misperception of an automobile's centerline is related to pedal error was tested in eight late-model automobiles. Pedal error is described as hitting the accelerator pedal when instructed to depress the brake pedal. One hundred twenty-nine subjects participated in an experiment in which pedal errors and perceived centerline were measured in all eight automobiles. The results indicate that subjects misperceive the centerline of the automobile to be to the right of the actual centerline. Although 26 pedal errors were recorded, no relationship between pedal errors and misperceived centerline was found.