Floor mats in cars are used to keep the car clean but who would have believed that something like this will cause one of the biggest vehicle safety recalls in the world?
Toyota had to recall millions of cars to fix unintented acceleration issues caused by floor mats interfering with the accelerator pedal.
What are the functions of floor mats in a car?
They are put in cars for good reasons. These are:
1. They keep the car clean. Dirts that should have been in the car if the carpet was not there is trapped on the floor carpet and can be disposed easily.
2. They help in winter and rainy seasons to keep mud and water away from the floor of the car.
3. They add to the aesthetics of the car interior.
How floor mats can jeopardize safety
These are the ways they can cause safety issues:
1. They can interfere with accelerator pedal and cause unintended acceleration. Another way is preventing acceleration when the mat is pushed under the pedal.
2. They can interfere with brake pedal and cause ineffective brake when the mat is pushed under the brake pedal. Just like that of the accelerator pedal, it can reduce the travel distance of the brake pedal.
3. For manual transmission vehicles, it can equally interfere with the clutch pedal.
How not to use a car floor mat
1. Do not stack floor mats together. In other words, do not use more than one as it will make them to move around easily.
2. Do not allow sand, fluid or other dirts to be under the mat as it can make it slippery.
3. Do not use floor mats without securing them to make them fixed.
4. Do not use the ones that do not fit properly well into the footwell.
5. Do not use the floormat without following the vehicle manufacturer recommendation.
