A patent was granted yesterday for a sort of squeaky toy that fits under a car's accelerator pedal. The patent (8,122,843), issued to a team of inventors from Ohio, describes a device that wedges under the pedal and squeaks whenever the pedal is pressed down too quickly, encouraging a more mellow, fuel-efficient driving style.
The hollow, rubbery device is shaped to fit under pedals of different height in different cars. A whistle (28) squeals if the driver really stomps on the gas, but the device still flexes under foot if rapid acceleration is really needed.
Remarkably, the idea of a whistling accelerator pedal is not new. In 1976, a patent (3,952,688) issued for a bellows that straps onto the gas pedal.
The bellows is attached to a "reed whistle or 'tweeter'" that squeaks when the pedal is pressed too quickly. The inventors of the new patent argue that their wedge-shaped device is less likely to slip out from under the pedal than the earlier bellows design. "Unfortunately, some drivers would be likely to try to kick it back into place while driving thereby creating a safety hazard."
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