[ http://www.multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1987/05/wat... ]
Also, why is accelerating during the park->drive transition more dangerous than sudden acceleration at speed? Seems to me like the really high speed case would be deadlier to car occupants and those around them.
Wikipedia only contains "official" "facts". There is no evidence on either side of the story, so Wikipedia just reports whatever Audi said. Complaints were limited to a specific make and model of vehicle. Would it not be rather unlikely that people who can't tell the gas from the break drove that one make and model? It really isn't important either way - the fact is that it had a real impact on their public perception and sales.
Seems to me like the really high speed case would be deadlier to car occupants and those around them.
Cars moving > 25 MPH are generally found in environments specifically designed for this purpose. Cars in "park" are generally inches from other cars, walls, people, pets... a fraction of a second travel from danger. It doesn't take much speed to fatally pin someone between a car and something else.