Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. are to fit brake override systems in all their vehicles by 2011, beginning with the new version of the Avante compact car.

A brake override system, also known as a smart pedal, is programmed to ignore the signal to accelerate if both the accelerator and brake are depressed and causes the vehicle to respond only to the brake.

Vehicles fitted with electronic braking systems do not necessarily decelerate when both pedals are depressed.

While Hyundai Kia Automotive Group’s two carmakers have been installing the system in larger vehicles since February last year, the system is not available in compact and smaller segments.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)