NHTSA Complaint #11020438 — 2012 HONDA PILOT

I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC IN RUSH HOUR, TRAVELING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A 3 LANE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS WAS TRAVELING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND THE OTHER ONE WAS I SEATED BEHIND ME. I HAD BEEN TRAVELING FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AT A MAXIMUM SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, AS TRAFFIC WOULD CLEAR AND THEN BECOME CONGESTED AGAIN. I WAS MAINTAINING ABOUT 5 CAR LENGTHS BETWEEN MY CAR AND THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. I TAPPED MY ACCELERATOR TO MOVE UP WHICH CAUSED MY PILOT TO SHOOT FORWARD. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF IT WAS LUCKY I HAD MAINTAINED A GOOD DISTANCE WITH THE CAR IN FRONT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SURGE, AND I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE REVVING. I BEGAN SCREAMING, AND MY DAUGHTER IN THE FRONT SEAT WAS YELLING FOR ME TO HIT THE BRAKES. I TOLD HER I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKES, BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, DESPITE MY APPLYING WITH GREAT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE. MY DAUGHTER COULD ALSO HEAR THE ENGINE REVVING. WE SLAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US, AND CONTINUED MOVING. THIS CAR REAR ENDED A PICK UP TRUCK WHICH FINALLY STOPPED MY PILOT. BOTH FRONT SEAT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AND MY CAR BECAME ATTACHED TO THE CAR I REAR ENDED. LUCKILY, EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY, BUT IF THE DRIVER I HAD STRUCK HAD PASSENGERS, THERE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERE INJURIES. I RECEIVED A TICKET FROM A STATE TROOPER FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE DRIVING DISTANCE FOR AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT.