left-foot braking with AT

[Toyarzee]

The only person I've ever known to do this was my 90 year old grandmother who was terrified of driving and was in no shape to continue. When I see people with brake lights engaged but pulling away from me I always chuckle to myself and wonder how many accidents they get in each year. This is a big fat NO in any driving condition, especially on an automatic where you have no possible excuses.

[Toyarzee]

For people who drive MT and hover their left foot over the clutch instead of off to the side on the dead pedal rest, they get ostracized too for somewhat similar reasons. If you feel that moving your foot to a pedal in an emergency is too slow, you shouldn't even be driving a car on public streets. In that case, stick to go carts for your commute to work.

[jawn]

I thought this thread was going to be about left-foot braking, the performance driving technique.

It is not.

[mdm]

Originally Posted by jawn

I thought this thread was going to be about left-foot braking, the performance driving technique.

It is not.

Obviously it is not.

[Toyarzee]

Originally Posted by mdm

Obviously it is not.

We could save the thread by turning it into one

[fumanchu1]

Originally Posted by mdm

OK, so let's derail it for a little bit. I hoped to get answers though, not to defend my choices ;-). [Also, seeing responses which appeared while I was typing this, it looks I will get few if any answers and a lot of judging...]

I do not think AT is "meant" to do it, it's just the way I prefer to do it.

I know that usually the pedals are not really designed for left-foot braking, and it is not the most comfortable position for the left foot. But I got used to it.

Yes, I braked with right foot in MT, I still brake with right foot when driving MT (e.g., when renting cars in Europe), switching is actually much easier that I suspected. I also braked with right foot for many years in AT.

At some point I wanted to try left-foot braking and I found that it suits me better for several reasons:

1. faster response time in emergency (not wasting time on moving the foot sideways)
2. faster start when green light turns on (for the same reason - not that I want to street race people, but sometimes I am in the wrong lane and need to get in front of other cars)
3. easier to start on steep uphill without rolling back in cars with no Hill Assist (no need to use the ebrake)
4. being lazy in stop-and-go traffic - don't need to move the foot from gas to brake and back all the time
5. some people say that left foot braking can get you confused in emergency and you will bemore likely to press gas instead of brake. I don't buy it, I think you are more likely to do it when you use the same foot for both gas and brake. And I did not have problems with emergency braking a few times already.
6. [tongue-in-cheek] I do some recreational karting so with left-foot braking I can feel almost like in a go-kart ;-)



Answer to all of these is learn to heel-toe and do it properly

What exactly scared you?
The fact that the person obviously choose to put themselves in potential danger when it is completely unnecessary

Why do you think so? I am asking seriously.
Pedal is positioned to use the right foot for braking therefore you above points are moot as it actually takes more concentration to use the left foot for braking, additional wear due to braking and accelerating at the same time, potential accident. I've seen people jump curbs and ram parking signs because of left foot braking. but do as you will, after all ya can't fix stupid.

Thanks. See above for the panic stop issue.
Yeah people all say that the confusion in a dangerous situation isn't an issue until it is and they jump 3 curbs and end up in a storefront when they were only going like 20mph

see responses

[Chanpion]

Originally Posted by fumanchu1

Why would you purposefully do a technique that is inefficient, potentially dangerous and leave the door open to much more human error is beyond me. CAn it be done yes, should it? no.


That's like my above statement, you can open doors by smashing your face in them but that is less than ideal and downright stupid.

I'm definitely not in the "normal" category but I've completely blown all the tendons in my right ankle from various other sports and tendons don't heal or never fully heal. Since the brake pedal requires more force to push and in traffic, if I have to stay on it for long periods of time my ankle often seizes up or spasms up the the knee joint. I'm basically unable to operate even the gas pedal at that point, had to pull over a few times.
I mean, if you start at a younger age to left foot brake and get it hard wired into your head not to hit both pedals, it's quicker and just as safe. But that's not an easy thing to do, it's like recorrecting muscle memory for some people. That's how I've learned and I've been tested that I don't hit both pedals.
I totally understand you though, not for everyone. But on our cars, we actually do have a system if both pedals are hit in a panic situation, only braking will be applied, I believe it's on most Toyota ECUs. *Actually, let me check the validility of this claim, I remember seeing it but want to make sure.

[fumanchu1]

Originally Posted by jawn

I thought this thread was going to be about left-foot braking, the performance driving technique.

It is not.

No that would have been logical and smart, You've obviously never been to this forum

[mdm]

Originally Posted by Toyarzee

If you feel that moving your foot to a pedal in an emergency is too slow, you shouldn't even be driving a car on public streets.

Well there is no "too fast" in an emergency, there may be only "too slow". So even if the other method is fast, anything that makes me faster is better. If I am faster by 0.5 seconds at 70 mph, it buys me 16 m/50 ft.


I also suspect that all those people who rear-ended other vehicles, whom I see on a daily basis, used right foot braking. I, on the other hand, have had my license for 25 years or so, started using left-foot braking probably 4-5 years ago, never hit another vehicle, got out successfully from a number of emergencies, also when left-foot braking. So.

[MisterSheep]

Originally Posted by mdm

Well there is no "too fast" in an emergency, there may be only "too slow". So even if the other method is fast, anything that makes me faster is better. If I lose 0.5 seconds at 70 mph, it buys me 16 m/50 ft.


I also suspect that all those people who rear-ended other vehicles, whom I see on a daily basis, used right foot braking. I, on the other hand, have had my license for 25 years or so, started using left-foot braking probably 4-5 years ago, never hit another vehicle, got out successfully from a number of emergencies, also when left-foot braking. So.

This is definately a troll..................

[fumanchu1]

Originally Posted by Chanpion

I'm definitely not in the "normal" category but I've completely blown all the tendons in my right ankle from various other sports and tendons don't heal or never fully heal. Since the brake pedal requires more force to push and in traffic, if I have to stay on it for long periods of time my ankle often seizes up or spasms up the the knee joint. I'm basically unable to operate even the gas pedal at that point, had to pull over a few times.
I mean, if you start at a younger age to left foot brake and get it hard wired into your head not to hit both pedals, it's quicker and just as safe. But that's not an easy thing to do, it's like recorrecting muscle memory for some people. That's how I've learned and I've been tested that I don't hit both pedals.
I totally understand you though, not for everyone. But on our cars, we actually do have a system if both pedals are hit in a panic situation, only braking will be applied, I believe it's on most Toyota ECUs. *Actually, let me check the validility of this claim, I remember seeing it but want to make sure.

Ok well see you are in a different situation, where you have had to adjust to that because of things rendering it much more difficult for you to perform "normally". But I think you still get the logic that would your leg/ability be completely normal(no injury) the left foot braking would not be something you did (I get the adjustment to your technique due to injury, I don't understand why/how someone who was completely healthy or "normal" as you put it would think that left foot braking would be a good idea (aside from the reason Jawn gave)

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by chaoskaze

brz side of family welcome you anytime bro.

lol I wish I got a BRZ but I didn't want to wait like 6 months. The "hot lava" one I got stuck with was only available cuz the guy canceled his order haha. I am glad I got it though I have since fallen in love with it. My next car will be a BRZ I want to have one for daily and one as a track car

[justatroll]

My mother was a left footed driver and driving behind her was the scariest thing ever.
She would get lazy (as You will) and leave pressure on the pedal.
this meant that her brake lights were ON ALL OF THE TIME.


It was absolutely a hazard to navigation and should NEVER BE DONE on the street. PERIOD.
If you are an experienced driver and know what you are doing on the track, then you might have a tiny hint of an argument for ever doing it.


Otherwise - NO.
None of your "advantages" outweigh the fact that it is just plain bad practice.

[Ashikabi]

If left foot brake is the only way you can drive because if your damaged right leg... What are you even asking? Why mention it? You had to know you'd get no positive answers here... and you edit 3 pages in to say you have an injury? Definitely troll... or dumb