Pressing gas rather then brake-older cars

[mpumas]

We read in the newspaper just about everyday about older people thinking they are pressing the brake pedal and instead pushing the gas pedal then crashing into buildings and people causing extensive damage and/or death. In fact, they may have been pressing the brake but also pushing the gas pedal. (With the brake pedal and gas pedal as close as they are this is very possible) This can be caused by the brake pedal going down below the level of the gas pedal before it bottoms out. (The brake pedal should always bottom out at a horizontal point above the gas pedal). In older cars with rear wheel drum brakes, this is usually caused by the rear brake adjusters not adjusting the brake shoes. The solution can be to remove the drum and manually adjust the shoe adjuster or more easily to back-up and put the brakes on then go forward, brake then back-up again multiple times. In fact you should remove the rear drums about every 10,000 miles to check wear. It is cheaper to replace the shoes then the shoes and drum together.