This is why I'm so glad I have a manual transmission with a physical ignition key. Car starts accelerating out of control? You have several options that you ca

This is why I'm so glad I have a manual transmission with a physical ignition key. Car starts accelerating out of control? You have several options that you can try in no particular order (except the first one, which should always be tried first). Lift your primary foot to confirm you're not accidentally pressing the accelerator instead of the brake (this is surprisingly common). Dump the clutch with the other foot at the same time. If the engine is still going nuts, shift to neutral and/or turn the ignition off (DON'T remove the key yet; that will lock the steering wheel, which is a bad idea when you're still moving). Coast to a stop somewhere safe; your brakes will also still work for a while. You won't have power steering, but you won't need it. Remove the key -- this WILL kill the engine (if you didn't already switch off). You're done. My driving instructor did this to me in an empty supermarket car park. Then he did it again until I got the hang of it. It's a valuable learning experience.