Automatic gearboxes; one foot or two?
Discussion
Sorry if this has been done before; but reading the thread on Auto 'boxes and brake lights I noticed that the OP had been advised to use her right foot for both brake and gas.
I use both feet (like a kart) as I find it easier to modulate the gas/brake trnasitions. I've also a theory that if this were common practise it would prevent those accidents where a confused driver mashes the gas pedal to the floor trying to stop the car.
Is there a view of the 'correct' way to drive autos?
SS7
I use both feet (like a kart) as I find it easier to modulate the gas/brake trnasitions. I've also a theory that if this were common practise it would prevent those accidents where a confused driver mashes the gas pedal to the floor trying to stop the car.
Is there a view of the 'correct' way to drive autos?
SS7
I was taught to use just the right foot and have always done so. I did experiment "kart style" but found I was pressing the brake too hard with the left foot and it didn't feel natural.
In 30 years of driving automatics I've never had a situation as you describe of pressing the accelerator accidentally rather than the brake, but I could understand how it could happen. In fact I once witnessed the lady mayoress of Bedford do exactly that when she was entering a car park at the back of the office where I worked. Hit the gas rather than the brake and took out the barrier and smashed into a car with so much forced that several other cars were damaged as a result.
In 30 years of driving automatics I've never had a situation as you describe of pressing the accelerator accidentally rather than the brake, but I could understand how it could happen. In fact I once witnessed the lady mayoress of Bedford do exactly that when she was entering a car park at the back of the office where I worked. Hit the gas rather than the brake and took out the barrier and smashed into a car with so much forced that several other cars were damaged as a result.
Mustow said:
I was taught to use just the right foot and have always done so. I did experiment "kart style" but found I was pressing the brake too hard with the left foot and it didn't feel natural.
In 30 years of driving automatics I've never had a situation as you describe of pressing the accelerator accidentally rather than the brake, but I could understand how it could happen. In fact I once witnessed the lady mayoress of Bedford do exactly that when she was entering a car park at the back of the office where I worked. Hit the gas rather than the brake and took out the barrier and smashed into a car with so much forced that several other cars were damaged as a result.
I do find both pedals in many cars are shoved to the right of the footwell; that doesn't help. In 30 years of driving automatics I've never had a situation as you describe of pressing the accelerator accidentally rather than the brake, but I could understand how it could happen. In fact I once witnessed the lady mayoress of Bedford do exactly that when she was entering a car park at the back of the office where I worked. Hit the gas rather than the brake and took out the barrier and smashed into a car with so much forced that several other cars were damaged as a result.
IME the secret to not hitting the pedal too hard is to think "Squeeeeeeze", not push/press.
I was taught LFB on a Pentti Arikkola (sp?) course many years ago and now find it natural in a 2 pedal car.
SS7
I tend to drive a manual day in day out, and an auto maybe once a week at most.
I dislike left foot braking for that reason - it's something which is different to my usual driving style in the manual
That being said, I'd reccomend it to someone who only drives auto. But not someone who changes between the two imo
I dislike left foot braking for that reason - it's something which is different to my usual driving style in the manual
That being said, I'd reccomend it to someone who only drives auto. But not someone who changes between the two imo
Colonial said:
I tend to drive a manual day in day out, and an auto maybe once a week at most.
I dislike left foot braking for that reason - it's something which is different to my usual driving style in the manual
That being said, I'd reccomend it to someone who only drives auto. But not someone who changes between the two imo
It has been done to death on these pages but the gist is each to their own - I've used exclusively left-foot braking for over twenty years in autos (and to a more limited and specific extent in certain manuals)becoming a natural and fluid addition to my driving style and I alternate on a daily basis between manual & auto without any problems - I don't find there's a mutual exclusivity between the techniques in terms of the instinctive way both styles may be employed nor is there any dissonance in an 'emergency' braking situation;I dislike left foot braking for that reason - it's something which is different to my usual driving style in the manual
That being said, I'd reccomend it to someone who only drives auto. But not someone who changes between the two imo
However, I would qualify all this with the emphasis that while it works for me I'm certainly not unreservedly recommending it to everyone.
I occasionally do a bit of LFBing when moving slowly in traffic queues to give my right leg a break but don't really have the control to smoothly slow from speed. I'm sure I could improve but I only drive an auto at the moment and don't want to get out of the 'normal' habit for when I go back to a manual.
As above. I use the left foot for launches, but that's about it.
I can use the left foot to brake when pressing on. Although I rarely bother.
I don't see the point. Any "advantages" to left foot braking on day-to-day driving are virtually non-existent, especially in most cars people end up driving.
Each to their own though. Left foot braking doesn't somehow make one a driving god, much like being able to wank with both hands doesn't make one a sex god.
I can use the left foot to brake when pressing on. Although I rarely bother.
I don't see the point. Any "advantages" to left foot braking on day-to-day driving are virtually non-existent, especially in most cars people end up driving.
Each to their own though. Left foot braking doesn't somehow make one a driving god, much like being able to wank with both hands doesn't make one a sex god.
G C said:
the only time I drove an automatic I went to dip the clutch rather rapidly... ended up doing an emergency stop!
I'm afraid I've done the same thing a couple of times, and was lucky not to get hit in the tail. 
Most of the time I've been accustomed to manual cars, apart from a few years when we had the Jaguar XJ6 and XJ12 which were both automatics, but that period ended in 1995. Since then I've only driven automatics very occasionally, and that's when my two unwanted emergency stops were performed.
For my own purposes I prefer to use my left foot for clutch activity only, and it can have the rest of the time off.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
BertBert said:
shoestring7 said:
I was taught LFB on a Pentti Arikkola (sp?) course many years ago and now find it natural in a 2 pedal car.
SS7
Ah yes but I bet you don't use it for quelling understeer on the road like he teaches SS7
He does a good day out, but his facilities are pretty primitive!
Bert
Best wishes all,
Dave.
p1esk said:
BertBert said:
shoestring7 said:
I was taught LFB on a Pentti Arikkola (sp?) course many years ago and now find it natural in a 2 pedal car.
SS7
Ah yes but I bet you don't use it for quelling understeer on the road like he teaches SS7
He does a good day out, but his facilities are pretty primitive!
Bert
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Crash Test Dummy said:
alot of modern cars kill the accelerator as soon as you touch the brake pedal. I think the Mk4 golf automatic does it
It seems common that the ones which do this, will bring the power power back if you take your foot off the throttle and then reapply while the brakes are on. I guess it's probably so that you can still drive the car if the brake switch fails, but means that you can drive round the restriction if you really want to.GreenV8S said:
Crash Test Dummy said:
alot of modern cars kill the accelerator as soon as you touch the brake pedal. I think the Mk4 golf automatic does it
It seems common that the ones which do this, will bring the power power back if you take your foot off the throttle and then reapply while the brakes are on. I guess it's probably so that you can still drive the car if the brake switch fails, but means that you can drive round the restriction if you really want to.Best wishes all,
Dave.
G C said:
the only time i drove an auto matic i went to dip the clutch rather rapidly... ended up doing an emergancy stop!
but i used one foot
If you're a regular manual driver, in an auto for the first time, fold your left leg across under your right. Try not to be tempted to even have your left leg down in the footwell.but i used one foot
I find it's just an impulse to whack the non existant clutch with your left foot, resulting in an emergency stop. What typically happens with me is that my left leg goes to sleep, and so I move it into the footwell, and forget it's there, whereupon, I end up doing an emergency stop.
I hate autos, usually they are hire cars, and I drive them quite rarely. I would imagine that if I drove them more often it would be allright, but to the unwary they're pain.
Use of left foot braking is a very very good skilly when driving off road for "challenge" events.
basically when trying to crawl over an object (when there might be a large drop down the other side)or position the vehicle very very accurately you raise the revs with your right foot and modulate your movement with left. it means you always have nough power to clear the obstacle (so you never lose momentum when you need it) but you can also control your power accurately. People very often approach say a steep bank, then blip the throttle to get over the bank to find that the engine has accelerated them down the hill the other side- saw a very very nasty carsh because of this once.
after a few years i also left foot brake on the road- really tucks the nose in round roundabouts!
basically when trying to crawl over an object (when there might be a large drop down the other side)or position the vehicle very very accurately you raise the revs with your right foot and modulate your movement with left. it means you always have nough power to clear the obstacle (so you never lose momentum when you need it) but you can also control your power accurately. People very often approach say a steep bank, then blip the throttle to get over the bank to find that the engine has accelerated them down the hill the other side- saw a very very nasty carsh because of this once.
after a few years i also left foot brake on the road- really tucks the nose in round roundabouts!
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