Automotive pedal support structure

An automotive pedal support structure comprising:

• an operating pedal disposable behind a dash panel of an automotive vehicle and having a pedal portion for a lower end portion;
• a steering shaft including a universal joint disposed in the proximity of said operating pedal;
• a first bracket comprising a pair of side wall portions, said first bracket being mounted to said dash panel so as to extend rearwardly with respect to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said first bracket being positioned generally at the same height as said universal joint;
• and
• a second bracket with its front end lower portion being pivoted to said first bracket between said pair of side wall portions of said first bracket and its upper portion being detachably attached to a vehicular body member so that said second bracket falls down from the vehicular body member while rotating rearwardly around a pivot point of the front end lower portion against the fir t bracket and forwardly moves said pedal portion during an automotive frontal collision;
• wherein said operating pedal is positioned in front of said universal joint and rotatably pivoted with respect to said second bracket opposite to said universal joint with respect to said first bracket;
• and
• said universal joint is positioned oppositely to said operating pedal with respect to either one of said pair of side wall portions of said first bracket, said universal joint being arranged so that during an automotive frontal collision said universal joint moves in the longitudinal direction relative to said first bracket while contacting with said one of side wall portions of first bracket accompanied with a rearward movement of said dash panel.