The reason cars run through conveience stores

I think you've got something there. I've always wondered how someone could confuse the brake and the gas unless they had a medical condition that caused loss of feeling in their feet.

There's a nice story in the biography of Douglas Bader, a UK WW2 fighter ace, who after a (plane) crash had parts of both legs amputated. The left was the more usable so he had his car pedals rearranged to suit. When the garage mechanic arrived with the modified vehicle he was asked how he had managed. He replied "In the end I crossed my legs and drove that way."

https://cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/24/storefront-crashes-why-they-occur-and-how-to-prevent-them/

I don't entirely agree with 'never use left foot braking'. I have used it regularly with automatic transmissions for hill starting.

Though, I was caught out recently in a borrowed Nissan that must have electric throttle control. When I tried to start on a steep hill I was holding with left foot on the brake and adding throttle to get a sense of loading the engine but it did not seem to be responding. I gave up and released the brake at which point the engine revved and the car jumped ahead. Must be that the throttle is inhibited when the brake is activated. New to me after using that method since the 1960's. Related to store crashing?

I don't have that problem, my car has a 'hill hold' feature so that if the car is on an incline when the brakes are applied, the brakes are held on until the clutch pedal is lifted.

We've had several instances locally where a driver has crashed into a store or an embankment. It is thought that the driver (usually elderly) has pushed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal then, still thinking they are on the brake pedal, have pushed harder to try to stop.

GA

Anecdotally, all the accidental store front crashes are almost invariably elderly drivers. Only takes a split-second of confusion to go through the front of the store.

Some store front crashes are deliberate to steal the ATM inside. Or grab some infant formula.

From personal experience,it tends to be younger inexperienced drivers.

I was almost nailed to the wall by one once,a teenage driver.

I almost did it myself when I drove my first automatic transmission.

Fortunately I corrected in time to avoid a collision,but I jumped the curb a bit.

Some stores now place bollards in front to slow down or stop run away cars.

Not all stores have them.

IMHO,it really should be codified for new construction,and required for older stores.

Tiger Woods isn't exactly elderly, but he isn't young either.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/07/us/tiger-woods-update-crash-cause/index.html

That tiger...Always trying to make an extra hole;Always gets him in trouble.

I bet his wrecked SUV will bring more at auction than the new price...much more!

Mine is a stick shift so I don't really understand what might happen with an automatic, but, I have experienced an effect which could be related. On several occasions I have reversed into a parking slot and applied the brake just as the car next to me has started to move out: convinced that for some reason my car has not stopped I have pressed the brake harder and harder. It's only a split second but the brief period of slight panic is quite "odd".

I have had the same thing happen at a stop light,on a hill,when the car beside me creeped forward,making me think I was rolling back for a second.Teenagers sometimes exploit this effect just for fun.When I looked at the driver of the car next to mine,it was a teenager grinning like O'possum eating persimmons.(not to be confused with a Possum,the O'Possum is Irish)

The reason cars run through convenience stores is the driver enjoys all that noise of shattering glass, screaming people avoiding the vehicle, spilling change from a cash register and all these tins and packets flying all over the place and alarm sirens going off. It just sound so cool, better than throwing a computer onto the street, through the 10th floor window of the office.

Since they dropped drivers education in high school, ^{(probably replaced with gender studies)} the quality of drivers on the road has also dropped.

The other reason, may also be age of the driver…. Abilities diminish with age… especially cognitive abilities… more with some people then others…

The dairy store solved this problem years ago, the whole store is drive thru...

I mean how is it convenient if you have to get out of your car?

The solution is to put the store's parking spaces at the side of the building with a thick wall protecting the store. Keeps the people in the store safe. The cars might not like it though. (",)

Bollards!

^{(not trying to be rude)}