Left foot braking with automatics

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Astraist
Posts: 239
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 10:41 pm

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby Astraist » Tue Feb 02, 2016 7:24 am

I should imagine not. Stuck accelerator problems is down to rusty linings or some problem with the carpeting (and generally good reason in favor of the original carpeting) and both are easily solvable by what I listed above.

Some of the cars that were known to suffer from it even had an electronic throttle, which oftentimes disconnects the throttle entirely when you ever so much as touch the brakes. Thi also makes left foot braking and heel and toe (or both simultanously 8-) ) pointless in those cars.

If you hit both pedals (a reasonable prospect if one is using both feet and is than surprised) your brakes are most likely to "defeat" the engine torque quite quickly.

What can happen is that if you need to stop in a hurry (and this might happen even to us lot) the engine torque might elongate the stopping distance to the point of impact.

What does happen is people who confuse pedals. It's a combination of not being quite as focused on the driving task at the first minute when you just enter the car, which is reason number one behind reversing into spaces.

This is aggrevated by seating further away from the pedals so a smaller misalignment is needed at the hip to miss the right pedal, and by the change in the body position when the driver is looking through the back window rather than the mirrors. Slippery soles have also been contribute, and some kind of shoes can get momentarily caught between two pedals.

sussex2
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Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby sussex2 » Tue Feb 02, 2016 7:43 am

It is not unusual for people to buy automatics as time catches up and they become less nimble physically; whilst at the same time driving less often.
There is also the problem of technology lag; not understanding that things have moved on and that the machine has become more intelligent and reliable.
A friend (who is not in the first flush of blushing youth) is amazed by the stop/start mechanism on a vehicle we own.
He simply cannot understand the principle - blipping the throttle before switching off and pressing the throttle when starting the engine are still well within his realm; as is coasting downhill to 'save fuel'.
It may be the case now but was not always that automatics need the brake pedal pressed before moving the lever in/out of P or R; thinking here of a late and unlamented 2000 Saab 9-3. I wonder how our friend would have managed with that? There would have had to have been a certain 'zone of danger' period of adjustment :)

Silk
Posts: 386
Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:24 pm
Location: South Glos.

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby Silk » Tue Feb 02, 2016 11:01 am

Keithrm wrote:Does anybody use left foot braking when doing slow speed maneuvering in an auto.


Some men left-foot brake in an automatic as their overly large penis interferes with the movement of their right leg.

If you are of normal "size", or a girl, it's not necessary. ;-)

TripleS
Posts: 227
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2015 5:39 pm
Location: Briggswath

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby TripleS » Tue Feb 02, 2016 11:57 am

sussex2 wrote:I've never used left foot braking on automatics and have never felt the need for it.


Nor me, except for the odd occasion when I've been driving an unfamiliar car and momentarily forgotten it was an automatic and dropped my left foot onto a clutch pedal that wasn't there! That produced much harder braking than I normally use, but without any bad outcomes, fortunately.

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akirk
Posts: 1659
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:58 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby akirk » Tue Feb 02, 2016 12:01 pm

I had this discussion when driving with a well known coach in my Z3 up to Leicestershire... one comment we discussed was that if you were driving a go-kart you would happily use left foot for brake and right for accelerator, so why not in a car... he then flawlessly demonstrated a fluid and beautiful drive with left foot braking :) It is a skill as any other...

Alasdair

TripleS
Posts: 227
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2015 5:39 pm
Location: Briggswath

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby TripleS » Tue Feb 02, 2016 12:08 pm

Silk wrote:
Keithrm wrote:Does anybody use left foot braking when doing slow speed maneuvering in an auto.


Some men left-foot brake in an automatic as their overly large penis interferes with the movement of their right leg.

If you are of normal "size", or a girl, it's not necessary. ;-)


After my experiences elsewhere I could see me getting into trouble with this topic. ;)

However, thank you for explaining why I found myself doing so much left foot braking. :lol:

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Strangely Brown
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Location: Sussex

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby Strangely Brown » Tue Feb 02, 2016 12:27 pm

Does it therefore follow that the "requirement" to left-foot brake depends upon which side Sir dresses?

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Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
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Location: Swindon

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Tue Feb 02, 2016 12:39 pm

Must be why I've never learnt :(
Nick

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StressedDave
Posts: 428
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 8:27 am

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby StressedDave » Tue Feb 02, 2016 12:43 pm

Silk wrote:
Keithrm wrote:Does anybody use left foot braking when doing slow speed maneuvering in an auto.


Some men left-foot brake in an automatic as their overly large penis interferes with the movement of their right leg.

If you are of normal "size", or a girl, it's not necessary. ;-)

And others do depending on the situation, such as slope, creep speed and level of excitation. I've done it very rarely - I'm more likely to do it at 'normal' road speeds as you can get smoother transitions from say cornering to acceleration. It's not necessary, but presumably, like wearing ear plugs and a blindfold whilst a passenger in your car, it can be very desirable. <insert smiley of choice here>
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Playtent
Posts: 209
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 3:00 pm

Re: Left foot braking with automatics

Postby Playtent » Tue Feb 02, 2016 1:11 pm

Silk wrote:
Keithrm wrote:Does anybody use left foot braking when doing slow speed maneuvering in an auto.


Some men left-foot brake in an automatic as their overly large penis interferes with the movement of their right leg.

If you are of normal "size", or a girl, it's not necessary. ;-)


I do it all the time. :?


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