Do you brake with your left foot?

[ForgedSpeed]

Some people do, I have no idea as to why. You arent supposed to.

I was almost ran over a week ago because the lady driving our bus hit the gas instead of the brake. Mercedes has started installing safety features in their new cars to ensure that you cant hit both pedals at once. Once the brakes are hit, no gas can be applied.

I drive a manual, so I dont have to worry about my left foot hitting the brake. Its always on, or hovering above the clutch pedal.

And no, when you heel-toe downshift you dont use your left foot to brake. You brake with the toe of your foot and blip the gas with your heel. Just incase anyone who didnt know the details wanted to bring that up...

[rhetor22]

I do sometimes in an auto car, for thrill purposes only

[shartley]

Daily driving I always use my right foot. In an automatic I sometimes use my left IF doing special driving maneuvers, but only then.

[RetroEclipseMan]

Yeah, I never use my left foot to brake since I have a manual as well or in the special case that I'm driving a friend's automatic and fee like to doing some "special manuvers" like Shartley said.

[Sparq]

I will ony use my left when I'm doing special low speed stuff...like inching up a steep driveway.

[Orange Crush]

When I was driving my IS300 I always used my left foot to brake. I did it mostly because I autocrossed the car and I found that the transition from acceleration was much smoother that way, and it didn't disturb the balace of the car as much. I could begin applying the brake as I was letting off the gas, and it saved those precious tenths of seconds for my foot to travel from one pedal to the next.

[chizle97]

no

[ForgedSpeed]

Originally posted by Orange Crush
When I was driving my IS300 I always used my left foot to brake. I did it mostly because I autocrossed the car and I found that the transition from acceleration was much smoother that way, and it didn't disturb the balace of the car as much. I could begin applying the brake as I was letting off the gas, and it saved those precious tenths of seconds for my foot to travel from one pedal to the next.

Lets leave racing out of this

But yes, when racing in an automatic (almost an oxymoron - not refering to drag racing) you would brake with your left foot. You brake while manipulating the throttle in a manual car too while racing, just not with the left foot.

[Miscue]

People who brake with their left foot (for no particular reason) should be beaten.

There are racing and maneuvering applications for this as mentioned, and you can dry your brakes this way if they're wet... but otherwise...

People who drive with cell phones and can't drive properly at the same time should be beaten.

People who do not look when changing lanes should be beaten.

People who have to look at the passenger during a conversation instead of watching the road should be beaten.

People who do not know how to merge onto a freeway should be beaten.

People who have expensive/sports cars and drive below the speed limit should be beaten.

People who do not know how to properly restrain their children in an appropriate car seat should be beaten. Once at work some woman brought her 3 year old in the store... the kid was bleeding buckets from her forehead. She had slammed on her brakes, and the kid kamikazied into the dash. The mom was smacking the kid around, and yelling at the kid for crying while the child still had blood pouring. Also yelled at the kid for bleeding all over the place as if it was the kid's fault. I wanted to beat that woman with a stick.

[oldsoldier]

Q, amend it to "people should be beaten." Seriously, many advanced maneuvering you use both feet in an auto tranny, but, if you arent trained to do it, your dominant foot will ALWAYS beat out your non dominant foot. This can result in loss of control. Brake driving is very stable, and allows much better handling of the vehicle...but again, you need to know what you're doing.

[-Carnifex-]

I just use the emergency brake.

[ForgedSpeed]

Advanced manuever? Automatic transmission? What am I missing?

2 feet, 2 pedals. Nothing is very complex.

Try to heel toe correctly...now thats complex.

[shartley]

Originally posted by ForgedSpeed
Advanced manuever? Automatic transmission? What am I missing?

2 feet, 2 pedals. Nothing is very complex.

Try to heel toe correctly...now thats complex.

[ForgedSpeed]

Psh, "advanced" is used in a relative way. Most people can catch on doing a 180 in your car pretty quick qith correct instruction.

[pbzmag]

Originally posted by Miscue
People who brake with their left foot (for no particular reason) should be beaten.

There are racing and maneuvering applications for this as mentioned, and you can dry your brakes this way if they're wet... but otherwise...

People who drive with cell phones and can't drive properly at the same time should be beaten.

People who do not look when changing lanes should be beaten.

People who have to look at the passenger during a conversation instead of watching the road should be beaten.

People who do not know how to merge onto a freeway should be beaten.

People who have expensive/sports cars and drive below the speed limit should be beaten.

People who do not know how to properly restrain their children in an appropriate car seat should be beaten. Once at work some woman brought her 3 year old in the store... the kid was bleeding buckets from her forehead. She had slammed on her brakes, and the kid kamikazied into the dash. The mom was smacking the kid around, and yelling at the kid for crying while the child still had blood pouring. Also yelled at the kid for bleeding all over the place as if it was the kid's fault. I wanted to beat that woman with a stick.

Dude, you just described L.A. drivers!