Discussion
Beardy hippy git from HubNut says he drives auto box cars using, and I can barely say the words,
his left foot to operate the brake pedal .
He had no shame, I thought he knew about driving and stuff, I am shocked..
You drive an automatic with with one foot, the right foot, [ unless you are a uniped ] that's the way it's taught
Is this a common driving style ?
his left foot to operate the brake pedal .
He had no shame, I thought he knew about driving and stuff, I am shocked..
You drive an automatic with with one foot, the right foot, [ unless you are a uniped ] that's the way it's taught
Is this a common driving style ?
You've started something now.
I always drive autos right footed. I work on the principle that I was taught right foot for accelerator and brake when I learnt to drive in a manual, and as I occasionally drive a manual why would I want to re-train myself when driving auto.
When I first drove an auto in about 1970 my dad said' tuck your left foot under your right leg and you'll never be tempted to go for a ghost clutch and maybe hit the brake'.
I don't do that any longer but I've never had to think about which foot to use on the brakes.
Right foot only, it's obvious. You have to come off the gas to brake anyway and unless you drive with your left foot hovering over the brake it's got to be quicker. My daughter was taught to dive auto only because she's a donut I will ask her how she does it, I've never taken any notice.
I always drive autos right footed. I work on the principle that I was taught right foot for accelerator and brake when I learnt to drive in a manual, and as I occasionally drive a manual why would I want to re-train myself when driving auto.
When I first drove an auto in about 1970 my dad said' tuck your left foot under your right leg and you'll never be tempted to go for a ghost clutch and maybe hit the brake'.
I don't do that any longer but I've never had to think about which foot to use on the brakes.
Right foot only, it's obvious. You have to come off the gas to brake anyway and unless you drive with your left foot hovering over the brake it's got to be quicker. My daughter was taught to dive auto only because she's a donut I will ask her how she does it, I've never taken any notice.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Anything less like a go-kart than a Range Rover is hard to imagine . When you drive a kart you do it for a short time and hovering over the brake is not a problem. Driving for hours in a full size car with your left over the brake sounds horrible.All three of my kids, including the one who was taught by a proper driving instructor, and their partners, drive one footed.
QuartzDad said:
My name is QuartzDad and I'm a left footer.
Driven autos for the last 20 years, occasionally drive a manual for holiday rentals, borrowing sons cars etc., don't find it an issue tbh, right foot braking in an auto feels very strange.
(Anyone else expecting a sectarian thread ?...)
Driven autos for the last 20 years, occasionally drive a manual for holiday rentals, borrowing sons cars etc., don't find it an issue tbh, right foot braking in an auto feels very strange.
(Anyone else expecting a sectarian thread ?...)
I'd imagine in an old school auto which used oil pressure and generally took an age to do anything, you could use left foot braking to influence the shifts to your liking, like going for an overtake, maybe forcing it to kickdown earlier.
In modern autos, the only thing that left foot braking does is cut the throttle after say 5 seconds, so you really can't drive them like a go kart (if you're driving a kart properly in my opinion)
I only ever drive my auto co cars right footed, feels like you sit unnaturally if you bring your left leg over into the equation, feels a lot more right to use the farting bracket, chief advantage of which means you always have a leg spare to brace with. On a long boring motorway schlepp one can really experiment with different timbres and octaves when one has the full gamut of cheek lifting available.
In modern autos, the only thing that left foot braking does is cut the throttle after say 5 seconds, so you really can't drive them like a go kart (if you're driving a kart properly in my opinion)
I only ever drive my auto co cars right footed, feels like you sit unnaturally if you bring your left leg over into the equation, feels a lot more right to use the farting bracket, chief advantage of which means you always have a leg spare to brace with. On a long boring motorway schlepp one can really experiment with different timbres and octaves when one has the full gamut of cheek lifting available.
And there was me thinking this was going to be a Catholicism thread......
Left foot braking is often used by those in manual cars, 1970s rally drivers started it (Stig Blomqvist etc).
I couldn't see an advantage in an auto but found this:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100305162556/http://...
"That's why I recommend elderly drivers to to think very carefully before making a switch from a lifetime of manuals to an automatic. Often it's too late to safely make the change. The problem with automatic transmission is that, unless the driver drives 'two footed', he or she has far less control over the car than over a manual – which is why we read of many deaths and injuries caused by 'out of control' automatics..."
For those who have recently swapped to an auto, or have a hire car on holiday (as have in the past), tucking your left foot away will stop the phantom clutch thing. I'm genuinely surprised left foot braking an automatic is advised at all!
Left foot braking is often used by those in manual cars, 1970s rally drivers started it (Stig Blomqvist etc).
I couldn't see an advantage in an auto but found this:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100305162556/http://...
"That's why I recommend elderly drivers to to think very carefully before making a switch from a lifetime of manuals to an automatic. Often it's too late to safely make the change. The problem with automatic transmission is that, unless the driver drives 'two footed', he or she has far less control over the car than over a manual – which is why we read of many deaths and injuries caused by 'out of control' automatics..."
For those who have recently swapped to an auto, or have a hire car on holiday (as have in the past), tucking your left foot away will stop the phantom clutch thing. I'm genuinely surprised left foot braking an automatic is advised at all!
Truckosaurus said:
Old Leonard Setright was another fan of left foot braking in an auto.
Always seems a lot of extra effort in a road car, if you really want to exercise your left leg buy a manual.
I remember an article by LJK Setright where he would cross his legs over when driving an auto, using his right foot for brake and left for accelerator. If you want to feel like a total learner again, try this. Always seems a lot of extra effort in a road car, if you really want to exercise your left leg buy a manual.
V8fan said:
And there was me thinking this was going to be a Catholicism thread......
Left foot braking is often used by those in manual cars, 1970s rally drivers started it (Stig Blomqvist etc).
I couldn't see an advantage in an auto but found this:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100305162556/http://...
"That's why I recommend elderly drivers to to think very carefully before making a switch from a lifetime of manuals to an automatic. Often it's too late to safely make the change. The problem with automatic transmission is that, unless the driver drives 'two footed', he or she has far less control over the car than over a manual – which is why we read of many deaths and injuries caused by 'out of control' automatics..."
For those who have recently swapped to an auto, or have a hire car on holiday (as have in the past), tucking your left foot away will stop the phantom clutch thing. I'm genuinely surprised left foot braking an automatic is advised at all!
What a load of rubbish in that article. Hitting the accelerator instead of the brake also happens to drivers of manual cars (e. g. my mother-in-law). Left foot braking is often used by those in manual cars, 1970s rally drivers started it (Stig Blomqvist etc).
I couldn't see an advantage in an auto but found this:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100305162556/http://...
"That's why I recommend elderly drivers to to think very carefully before making a switch from a lifetime of manuals to an automatic. Often it's too late to safely make the change. The problem with automatic transmission is that, unless the driver drives 'two footed', he or she has far less control over the car than over a manual – which is why we read of many deaths and injuries caused by 'out of control' automatics..."
For those who have recently swapped to an auto, or have a hire car on holiday (as have in the past), tucking your left foot away will stop the phantom clutch thing. I'm genuinely surprised left foot braking an automatic is advised at all!
I'm 73 and after 45 years of manual cars driven my auto cars for 8 years as well as my wife's manual cars with no problems. Always use right foot braking in both.
wong said:
Truckosaurus said:
Old Leonard Setright was another fan of left foot braking in an auto.
Always seems a lot of extra effort in a road car, if you really want to exercise your left leg buy a manual.
I remember an article by LJK Setright where he would cross his legs over when driving an auto, using his right foot for brake and left for accelerator. If you want to feel like a total learner again, try this. Always seems a lot of extra effort in a road car, if you really want to exercise your left leg buy a manual.
For me in an auto, right foot gas, left foot brake.
In something with a bit of poke and a decent auto box you can actually have a little bit of dual input too. A lot of more modern stuff will have a conflict in the ECU though and reduce the throttle position to closed.
In town you can also smooth out the ride a lot as there is no gap between the two inputs while you foot moves. There is a technique which was taught to me years ago in another life for speed bumps where you dip the nose and then gas over the bump and the speed bump is ironed out. With a lot of practice you can do this so its actually second nature.
In something with a bit of poke and a decent auto box you can actually have a little bit of dual input too. A lot of more modern stuff will have a conflict in the ECU though and reduce the throttle position to closed.
In town you can also smooth out the ride a lot as there is no gap between the two inputs while you foot moves. There is a technique which was taught to me years ago in another life for speed bumps where you dip the nose and then gas over the bump and the speed bump is ironed out. With a lot of practice you can do this so its actually second nature.
I learnt to drive a manual and in turn alternate my right foot between the accelerator and the brake. So I follow the same principle when driving an auto and just leave my left foot on the foot rest.
In a way I can kind of see the logic of using two feet and having two pedals but autos are designed to be easy and that bit more effortless. Why not give 50% of your legs a rest haha
In a way I can kind of see the logic of using two feet and having two pedals but autos are designed to be easy and that bit more effortless. Why not give 50% of your legs a rest haha
Mix it up, use your left foot for throttle & brake 
Right footer here. Don't drive autos often but when I have, I just don't have the same level of control as not as practiced.
Only time I could see myself using the left foot for the brakes in an auto is in an emergency stop, where my heads hard wired to put the clutch in, too. I like to imagine it similar to the bridge scene in The Blues Brothers.
Right footer here. Don't drive autos often but when I have, I just don't have the same level of control as not as practiced.
Only time I could see myself using the left foot for the brakes in an auto is in an emergency stop, where my heads hard wired to put the clutch in, too. I like to imagine it similar to the bridge scene in The Blues Brothers.
I left-foot brake in a manual car 50% of the time, depending on whether or not I want to change gear under braking, and in an automatic 90%.
In a kart you have to brake with your left foot - there's a gas tank in the way of your right - and in a stock car you'll go on a one-way trip to the last-chance qualifier if you aren't blending accelerator and brake.
In a kart you have to brake with your left foot - there's a gas tank in the way of your right - and in a stock car you'll go on a one-way trip to the last-chance qualifier if you aren't blending accelerator and brake.
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