🚗 In Japan, thousands of accidents every year are caused by drivers pressing the gas pedal when they meant to hit the brake. For elderly drivers, these mistakes are often fatal. In January 2026, Japan dramatically tightened its safety standards — now requiring cars to detect pedestrians, prevent runaway acceleration even at creep speed, and extending the rules to light trucks. What's more, the technology behind these rules was pioneered in Japan and has already become a UN global standard. Here's how the world's most rapidly aging nation is rewriting the rules of automotive safety.
Why Japan Is Tightening the Rules Now
Japan is one of the most aged societies on earth. Roughly 29% of its population is 65 or older, and the number of elderly drivers holding valid licenses continues to climb. With that demographic reality comes a specific and deadly problem: pedal misapplication — when a driver accidentally presses the accelerator instead of the brake.
Data from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA) shows that over a three-year period, more than 9,700 pedal misapplication accidents were recorded in Japan, with about 40% involving drivers aged 65 and older. The fatality statistics are even more stark: in 2015, of 58 deaths caused by pedal mix-ups, 50 involved drivers over 65. Older drivers tend to realize their mistake later, continuing to press what they believe is the brake — actually the accelerator — with full force.
The images are disturbingly familiar to Japanese viewers: a car plowing into a convenience store, crashing through a hospital entrance, or careening across a busy sidewalk. The 2019 Ikebukuro incident in Tokyo, in which an elderly driver's runaway car killed a mother and her young daughter, became a national turning point that galvanized public demand for stronger safety measures.
What Changes Under the New Standards
On January 9, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) announced a major revision to Japan's vehicle safety standards, significantly upgrading performance requirements for Acceleration Control for Pedal Error (ACPE) systems. Three key changes stand out.
First, pedestrian detection is now mandatory. Previous standards primarily required the system to detect walls and other vehicles as obstacles. But real-world accidents often involve pedestrians — shoppers in parking lots, people walking through residential streets. Under the new rules, sensors and cameras must recognize human presence and suppress acceleration when a pedal error is detected. This is expected to significantly reduce injuries and fatalities in areas with heavy foot traffic.
Second, protection during creep driving is now required. Automatic vehicles creep forward slowly when the driver releases the brake, even without pressing the accelerator — a phenomenon called "creep." The original standard only addressed sudden acceleration from a complete stop. In reality, many accidents happen when a driver panics during creep movement and slams down the accelerator. The updated rules now mandate acceleration suppression in this scenario as well.
Third, the scope of vehicles covered has been expanded. Originally, only passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats were subject to the mandate. The revised rules extend coverage to cargo vehicles weighing up to 3.5 metric tons — including delivery vans and small trucks that frequently operate in parking lots and urban streets where pedal errors are most dangerous.
The Rollout Timeline
Implementation will proceed in phases.
Starting September 2028, all new passenger car models in Japan must be equipped with ACPE systems meeting the initial UN standard (UN Regulation No. 175). For imported vehicles, the deadline is September 2029.
The enhanced standards — including pedestrian detection and creep-speed protection — apply to new models from September 2030, and to all continuing-production vehicles by September 2032.
By 2032, every automatic-transmission vehicle sold in Japan, including EVs, will be required to detect pedestrians and prevent runaway acceleration from both standstill and creep-speed conditions as standard equipment.
From Japan's Problem to the World's Standard
What makes this story particularly notable is that the technology and standards originated in Japan.
In 2022, Japan proposed to the United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) that an international standard for pedal misapplication prevention systems be created. Japan provided technical data, testing methodologies, and draft requirements based on its domestic automakers' extensive experience. In November 2024, at the 194th session of WP.29, the proposal was formally adopted as UN Regulation No. 175, based on Japan's evaluation framework.
The regulation entered into force in May 2025. Automakers across Europe and Asia are now developing ACPE-compliant systems, meaning Japan's response to its aging-society challenge has become the global blueprint.
Japanese carmakers have been ahead of the curve for years. Toyota introduced its Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) in 2012, which the company says prevents roughly 70% of potential pedal misapplication accidents. In 2020, Toyota launched "Plus Support," an advanced system that detects misapplication even without an obstacle present, by analyzing connected-vehicle big data to distinguish genuine acceleration from errors. Honda has similarly developed an "Unintended Acceleration Mitigation" system that limits speed when sudden pedal input is detected at low speeds — even when no obstacle is in sight.
Challenges Beyond Technology
Mandatory standards alone won't eliminate every accident.
The new rules only apply to vehicles manufactured after the compliance dates. Given Japan's approximately 82 million registered vehicles, the transition will take years. Many older cars on the road will lack ACPE systems entirely.
Retrofit devices are an option. Toyota, Daihatsu, and others sell aftermarket pedal misapplication suppressors, typically costing around $800–$1,300 (approximately 120,000–200,000 yen). Many local governments offer subsidies for elderly drivers to purchase these devices, but awareness and adoption remain limited.
There's also the deeper question of elderly driving itself. Since 2017, Japan has required enhanced cognitive testing for drivers aged 75 and over at license renewal. However, in rural areas where public transportation is sparse, giving up a driver's license often means losing independence entirely. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has been promoting "mobility as a service" (MaaS) and community transport solutions, but progress is uneven. The real solution likely lies at the intersection of technology and infrastructure — making cars safer and making it easier for elderly people to live without driving.
The Bigger Picture
Pedal misapplication isn't just Japan's problem. According to the UN, the global population aged 65 and over is projected to more than double by 2050. In the UK, seven out of eight pedal misapplication incidents involving gear confusion occur in automatic vehicles. In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been studying similar issues as automatic transmissions and EVs become dominant. Euro NCAP has signaled that pedal misapplication prevention will be incorporated into its safety ratings, taking cues from Japan's existing JNCAP assessment program.
Japan turned its demographic challenge into a catalyst for innovation, creating safety technology that now defines the global standard. As automatic and electric vehicles spread worldwide, the solutions Japan pioneered will become relevant everywhere.
Does your country have regulations for pedal misapplication prevention? How does your community address elderly driver safety? We'd love to hear how this issue is handled where you live.
References
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/jidosha10_hh_000336.html
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/jidosha10_hh_000330.html
- https://jafmate.jp/car/traffic_topics_20260131_1198688.html
- https://unece.org/artificial-intelligence/press/new-un-regulations-target-pedal-misapplication-and-usher-new
- https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/33012068.html
- https://global.honda/en/tech/Unintended_Acceleration_Mitigation/
Reactions in Japan
I support making it mandatory, but isn't 2030 too late? Cars are still crashing into convenience stores somewhere every day. Can't they move the timeline up?
My 82-year-old father drives every day. Honestly, I'm always worried he'll have an accident. If all cars had this system, I could breathe a little easier.
Does pedestrian detection cover cyclists too? Kids on bikes dart out in parking lots all the time — I hope they cover that scenario as well.
I work at a rural repair shop and more than half my customers are elderly. Most don't even know subsidies exist for retrofit devices. Before mandating new standards, we need to spread the word about what's already available.
Pedal misapplication barely happens with manual transmissions, you know. It's partly an AT-only license problem. But I get that we can't go back to manuals now.
Every time I walk through a supermarket parking lot holding my child's hand, I feel scared. I wish pedestrian detection had been mandated sooner, but better late than never.
It's something to be proud of that Japan's safety tech became a UN standard. A Japanese official even serves as vice-chair at WP.29. This kind of quiet leadership in safety deserves more recognition.
I'm worried this will raise car prices. Light trucks are included too — can elderly farmers in rural areas actually afford to replace their vehicles?
Tech support is important, but I'm worried elderly drivers will become overconfident thinking they're totally safe now. Dirty sensors and system malfunctions are real risks too.
Discussions about license surrender are fine, but in rural areas, you can't even get to the hospital without a car. Safety device rollout and regional transport improvement need to happen in parallel. One without the other doesn't work.
We got here because the Ikebukuro accident victim's family kept speaking up. When I think about how many lives were lost before the rules finally changed, I have mixed feelings.
EVs have instant torque, so the initial acceleration from a pedal mix-up is way more violent than with gas cars. This device is essential for the EV era. Mandating it is only natural.
I drive a day-care shuttle to various parking lots, and I often have close calls watching elderly drivers. I hope they redesign parking lots too, not just the car technology.
If you think of it as a bridge until fully autonomous driving arrives, these semi-automatic safety systems are extremely practical. Better to do what we can now than wait for perfection.
Even light trucks? Seriously? I only use mine to go between my field and home. If the device cost gets added to the vehicle price, that's tough. Please expand the subsidies.
This isn't just an elderly driver issue. Young people can misapply the pedal when tired or distracted by their phone. It benefits all age groups.
In California, we see cars crashing into storefronts from pedal mix-ups in the news too. Japan taking this all the way to a UN standard shows real leadership. I wish NHTSA would follow their lead.
In Sweden, we have Vision Zero to eliminate traffic fatalities, but we don't have specific regulations for pedal misapplication yet. Japan's approach is instructive. Aging is advancing here too.
In India, automatic cars are still a minority, so we don't hear much about pedal misapplication. But ATs and EVs are growing fast. Japan's example will be crucial for India in 5 years.
Honestly, even with this tech mandated, the root problem is people who shouldn't be driving still driving. Technology isn't an absolution. In Ireland, elderly drivers need a doctor's certificate to renew their license.
German automakers should be working on ACPE compliance already. If EU adoption of UN Regulation 175 spreads, standard fitment in European cars won't be far off. Though in Germany, many resist technology that limits 'driving freedom.'
Elderly driver accidents are rising in France too, but setting an age limit on licenses is politically taboo. Japan's technology-first approach is a clever way to achieve results while avoiding political hurdles.
In rural Australia, the elderly can't live without cars either — same as Japan. Japan tackling both safety devices and regional transport is the right approach. We haven't managed anything that systematic here.
South Korea is aging rapidly too, and pedal misapplication isn't someone else's problem. The fact that Japanese carmakers already offer retrofit devices shows how ahead they are. Korean manufacturers need to catch up.
In Brazil, vehicle safety standards are still relatively lax. ESC was only recently mandated. Japan setting a global standard for pedal misapplication prevention is great, but developing countries will take a while to catch up.
In China, NEV sales are exploding and sporadic pedal misapplication accidents from EV instant torque are being reported. There's a high chance China will reference Japan's standards when developing its own regulations.
Lots of used Japanese cars are on the road in Nigeria. Once Japanese cars with safety devices enter the used market, they'll indirectly improve road safety in Africa too. That's an interesting ripple effect.
In the UK, seven out of eight pedal misapplication incidents in automatic cars involve gear confusion. If Japan's technology solves this, I want it introduced in the UK market as soon as possible.
I'm a Japanese person living in the US. American SUVs are heavy and fast, so the damage from a pedal mix-up is massive. It's baffling that there's no regulation like Japan's here. If anywhere needs this tech, it's the US.
Denmark has strong cycling infrastructure and lower car dependency, but parking lot pedal errors aren't nonexistent here. I heard Euro NCAP plans to adopt pedal misapplication testing based on Japan's JNCAP — that's a positive development.
In Mexico, there are no special restrictions on elderly driver licenses. Japan using technology instead of politically difficult age limits is a practical workaround. I hope our country considers adopting this too.