Left Foot Braking... Is It Good?

[kasun001]

I have a car with automatic transmission and I always use my left foot for braking.

is it good? (my uncle screams at me whenever i use left foot to brake)

what do you guys think?

[jehan80]

I have a car with automatic transmission and I always use my left foot for braking.

is it good? (my uncle screams at me whenever i use left foot to brake)

what do you guys think?

I usually 'eat' with my right hand, but sometimes I use my left hand.

Is is good?

What do you think?

[hhrxz]

can you smoothly break with your left...its hard for me to do.anyway its better if you can get used to your right leg because there are chances if you met with an accident when you get panic you may accidentally press your accelerator too.

Edited May 10, 2012 by hhrxz

[NPP]

do you have a license? (obtained through a normal process?)

[VVTi]

I have a car with automatic transmission and I always use my left foot for braking.

is it good? (my uncle screams at me whenever i use left foot to brake)

what do you guys think?

I think your uncle has good reason to scream.

What you are doing is very dangerous. In an emergeny situation, your instinct will be to press on the right leg, and with your method of driving, this will have disatsrous conseqneces on you and some poor pedestrian or another vehcile.

Auto cars and many manual cars have a foot rest, for the left foot, for good reason.

Use it, but use your brains also.

You sound like a road fatality waiting to happen.

[liya]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-foot_braking

[liya]

behold the new generation of motorists where manual transmission is just a page in the history books *nostaglia*

[hhrxz]

behold the new generation of motorists where manual transmission is just a page in the history books *nostaglia*

:sad-smiley-066:

[CARBON B4]

I have a car with automatic transmission and I always use my left foot for braking.

is it good? (my uncle screams at me whenever i use left foot to brake)

what do you guys think?

If you are trying to press the brake there is no reason to have your foot on the accelerator.... so using the right foot is the most logical thing to do.

But if you are trying to do burnouts that's a different question...

[Schiffer]

there are situations u can use the left foot, but its not good practice.

for example: if your climbing on a steap hill and had to halt.. then using the left foot to break to balance the acceleration from roiling down the hill is ok.. but using your left foot always is a bad habit..

[Crosswind]

Correct me if I'm wrong here... isn't there a override mechanism in newer cars that prevent the accelerator and brakes operating at the same time, so if the driver presses the accelerator and brakes, only the brakes would work?

[kasun001]

If you are trying to press the brake there is no reason to have your foot on the accelerator.... so using the right foot is the most logical thing to do. But if you are trying to do burnouts that's a different question...

I think that the most logical thing to do is using the left foot because that way the reaction time to brake decreases than using the right.

[ferrarif50]

for example: if your climbing on a steap hill and had to halt.. then using the left foot to break to balance the acceleration from roiling down the hill is ok..

what ??? then, are u going to ask the passenger to press the clutch from his right foot ?

[VVTi]

there are situations u can use the left foot, but its not good practice.

for example: if your climbing on a steap hill and had to halt.. then using the left foot to break to balance the acceleration from roiling down the hill is ok.. but using your left foot always is a bad habit..

In case of trying to prevent from rolling bak on a hill, best method for an Auto is to use the foot brake first, pull the Hand Brake, then slowly accelerate while releasing the Hand brake. For a manual, same way but use the clutch ahd the hand brake in coorination with each other if clutch balancing itself won't help. No shame in stalling the car as long as you can stop it from rolling back.

[maheshw]

what will happen when you dirve a manual car? suppose to do the same ? how to do a clutch balance when your L\F touch on brake paddle? better to adjust for the correct method. you will feel bit difficult, but practice will make you more easier. Good Luck !!

[kasun001]

I usually 'eat' with my right hand, but sometimes I use my left hand. Is is good? What do you think?

do you have a license? (obtained through a normal process?)

U guys don't get what i'm trying to point out here. Left-Foot Braking is new technique to drive used even in Manuel Transmission.

Do some research.

(@NPP as for u Mr. I do have a license and of course it's pretty natural to have a tube light equipped cyborg among others with pure human flesh )

[kasun001]

behold the new generation of motorists where manual transmission is just a page in the history books *nostaglia*

Well u got it correct at some point but left foot braking is used in manual transmission too u know.

[MasterDon]

Well left foot braking has been used in racing ever since motorsports started.If you can do it smoothly and if it becomes second nature to you(so you don't mess up the pedals in an emergency) I don't see why not...

[maheshw]

Left-Foot Braking is new technique

[kasun001]

[whmsujith]

what ??? then, are u going to ask the passenger to press the clutch from his right foot ?

I think, he was refering to auto tranny.

there are situations u can use the left foot, but its not good practice.

for example: if your climbing on a steap hill and had to halt.. then using the left foot to break to balance the acceleration from roiling down the hill is ok.. but using your left foot always is a bad habit..

Still i don't think a good idea, instead you can use handbrake.

Edited May 10, 2012 by whmsujith

[harshansenadhir]

there are situations u can use the left foot, but its not good practice.

for example: if your climbing on a steap hill and had to halt.. then using the left foot to break to balance the acceleration from roiling down the hill is ok.. but using your left foot always is a bad habit..

Even when doing clutch balancing, it's advisable to use heal toe for the brake and accelerator. Left foot should be kept strictly for clutch for a reason.

and for the OP, Brake and the cluth requires difference power and pressing patterns. When you're pressing the clutch, you press it all the way down, in the same phase. You don't press the brake like that, you press, check response, decide to release or press more etc. Also, you don't have to press the brake with the same force as you're pressing the clutch as either drum brakes will have it's own ways to increase brake force. Commonly found power assisted brakes will not require much force as the clutch would require.

There's a common saying among drivers in SL, that is if your enemy is driving behind your vehicle, then press the brake pedal with your left foot. Meaning is it can create an unnecessary rapid locking of wheels as left foot we used to press with much force than the right foot and we would press it all the way down.

[harshansenadhir]

I think that the most logical thing to do is using the left foot because that way the reaction time to brake decreases than using the right.

Reason is not the reaction time as it may be different from a left hander to a right hander.

Have you seen some vans and heavy vehicles, where the steering column is in between the clutch and the brake pedal? Good luck pressing the brake pedal using the left foot in those.

[Pericles]

Left-Foot Braking is new technique to drive used even in Manuel Transmission.

Do some research.

Seriously dude, before you act like a know it all, you need to know what ur talking about. New technique?

And this whole thing is about left foot braking on an auto car, not a racing car. Racing drivers tend to have skill, not something your ordinary toyota loving a-to-b SL drivers tend to have much of. They do NOT need to be confused with racing techniques.

[NPP]

U guys don't get what i'm trying to point out here. Left-Foot Braking is new technique to drive used even in Manuel Transmission.

Do some research.

(@NPP as for u Mr. I do have a license and of course it's pretty natural to have a tube light equipped cyborg among others with pure human flesh )

yea you found me

it can be a technique but why oh why do you need to do it in an auto for normal driving??

it's not like you're taking your uncle for a drive along a race-track.

i asked cos it was something i thought before i gained the simplest knowlegde on cars. I don't think it'll do any good to use both A&B at the same time. also I don't think you'll get the same braking 'smoothness'

My take - don't get used to it for normal driving

[Schiffer]

what ??? then, are u going to ask the passenger to press the clutch from his right foot ?

erm the OP was talking about a auto tranny car

In case of trying to prevent from rolling bak on a hill, best method for an Auto is to use the foot brake first, pull the Hand Brake, then slowly accelerate while releasing the Hand brake. For a manual, same way but use the clutch ahd the hand brake in coorination with each other if clutch balancing itself won't help. No shame in stalling the car as long as you can stop it from rolling back.

true, i used to do that as well

but once a friend of mine had a bad encounter.. he bought a new A72 lancer and with his first encounter with a hill after buying the car he did that technique (ofcourse it was a manual) he didnt know that the handbreak wasnt working.. and the role back. luckyly there was no vehicles behind and he did manage to bring it to a halt..

but donno, since that day, im kinda paranoid bout it so just started to balance with the foot brake

i know its not the best thing to do.. and actually wont advice anyone to do that as well..

and for those who are blabbing about this new technique.. unless you have a proper racing license and alot of experience.. AVOID trying to do that in a manual car