blindingly obvious

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/business/global/03toyota.html says that the U.S. may require that pressing the brake pedal make your car stop (even if you're stepping on the gas). Why hasn't this been a feature since, I don't know, forever, is baffling to me. If you don't have a stick shift, when do you ever want to brake and keep gas going to the engine at the same time? Even then, once you're moving there's no reason to brake and keep gas going.