AUTHORITIES in Singapore are investigating accidents involving Hyundai cars which have been reportedly accelerating abruptly while reversing.
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority said on Tuesday that it was looking into cases of “unintended acceleration in reverse gear”. The phenomenon, known as sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) in Hyundai cars, may have caused a spate of accidents involving taxis in the city state.
In a statement, the Authority said it was too early to draw any conclusions and gave no further details.
However, local newspaper Straits Times cited recent incidents involving taxis from operator ComfortDelGro, which leases Hyundai Sonata cars, among other models. It is Singapore’s largest taxi operator with a fleet of 17,000 cabs.
Several accidents that have been captured by car cameras show Hyundai cabs being operated in dramatic crashes that suggest the drivers lost control of their vehicles. Most of the footage involved taxis operated by ComfortDelGro.
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According to the paper, cases of SUA have been well-documented, but not all were proven to be caused by mechanical failure.
“Some are attributable to drivers stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal and, in panic, depressing the accelerator further,” the Straits Times reported.
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SUA is believed to be the reason behind 417 accidents involving Korean cars between 2010 and 2014.
A spokesman from the authority said it was currently premature to draw any conclusions pending the full outcome of the probe.
Hyundai Motor said it is looking into the matter.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
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