OMG You just never know!!

[Matt_Jr]

Those using cell phones while driving are really endangering others. Today I forgot my own rule when my cell rang, and I missed the light turning green and was honked at to go. Shame on me. Walking sticks and canes can be dangerous too. lol.

When I was a teenager a friend of mine knocked on the door and asked me to grab a shovel and help is grandma get her car off of a snow bank. We walked a few blocks to the car and the front end of this little pontiac sunbird was almost 4 feet off the ground, up on the snow. I asked why she parked the car on the large pile of snow. Haha. Well.. my buddies grandma was picking up her mother(friends great grandma) for church, and when she got in the passenger seat, her cane pushed right down on the gas pedal. While her cane was on the gas, his grandma's foot was on the break, she said she was goin' close to 50 before great grandma was able to get her cane off the pedal, passenger door still open, car loses control and slams into the snow bank. Ever since then, great granny had to put the cane in the back seat before getting in. Friends grandma didn't like to put the car in park unless getting out. Hmm. I still laugh about that.

 

[hitekcountry]

Of coarse if the imposable were to happen and I had to start on a steep up hill then depending on the car I would use either the E brake or clutch left foot and Heel and toe the brake and gas.

Ok I reread that statement and I can see where it could easily be misunderstood. It could be read to mean I would use my left foot for E brake or clutch. That is NOT was I was saying.

So let me try to be as clear as I can.

Some cars (that's why I said depending on the car) have an E brake that is a long handle with a thumb release. You can stop heading up a steep hill and with one hand pull on the E brake handle while holding the thumb release which allows you to control the amount of E brake you want to apply to prevent the car from rolling back. The rest of your clutching and braking and gas would be normal. Either that OR you clutch left foot and heel and toe with the right foot on the brake and gas.

I can think of no circumstance where you would use your left foot on the brake in a stick shift car.

Stick shift:
gas - right foot only
Brake - right foot only
Clutch - left foot only

 

[hitekcountry]

Well, don't give up, because you're right. It's a very dangerous, but not uncommon, practice to use the left foot on the brake with an automatic transmission. In an emergency, there's a very good chance such a driver will get confused as to which foot to apply pressure with. And even without mental confusion, just think about it for a minute. If you really have to hit the brakes hard, what do you do? I'll tell you what you do. You push on the floor with both feet, so I can practically guarantee that in a real emergency, a driver who uses his/her left foot on the brake will have the accelerator floorboarded, but after the wreck will swear there was something wrong with the brakes. And he, or she, isn't being dishonest, but will actually believe what he's saying.

Bird

I can't recall ever reading anything from you that I've ever disagreed with but on this I do.

If a person is used to driving an automatic applying the brake with the left foot and gas with the right, how can they possibly in the confusion hit the gas with their left foot if we agree that is their breaking foot. Why would they suddenly use their right foot for the brake (and in the confusion hit the gas) when they never use it for braking any other time.

A person that drives a stick uses the same foot for brake and gas and I don't see why they're less likely to get mixed up is a high stress situation then the person that never uses the same foot for both brake and gas?

I just don't see that driving style as being more dangerous I see it as being less.

 

[mjncad]

Regardless of transmission type...right foot for brake and gas, left foot for clutch if a manual.

The only time I've seen the right foot for gas, left for brake was by a professional racing car driver named Sabine Schmidt of Germany who is an expert on the Nurburgring race track, which is generally considered the most challenging paved course in the world. The theory is she keeps the engine RPM's at peak efficiency and brakes just enough to get through the corners.

The other downside of the right gas, left brake is being stuck behind someone on the road who has the brake lights on; but doesn't appear to be slowing down. I guess they like burning up pads and rotors.

 

[hitekcountry]

The other downside of the right gas, left brake is being stuck behind someone on the road who has the brake lights on; but doesn't appear to be slowing down. I guess they like burning up pads and rotors.

OH for sure a person can drive poorly in that configuration also.

 

[Skyco]

The other downside of the right gas, left brake is being stuck behind someone on the road who has the brake lights on; but doesn't appear to be slowing down. I guess they like burning up pads and rotors.

My thoughts exactly, I was behind a car yesterday that kept having brake lights while never actually slowing. Remarked to the wife how I bet they were a left foot braker, sure is annoying.

Several years ago in a downtown environment I witnessed an elderly man trying to parallel park, he hit the car behind him, pulled up and hit the car in front then reversed and hit the car behind him hard, then went full throttle, smoking the tires while up against the car behind him. Pulled up a little got out and walked away in the cloud of tire smoke as if nothing ever happened. Of course he was in a gigantic ancient station wagon with actual chromed steel bumpers that didn't have a mark on it.
I left a note on the damaged rear car that I witnessed the "accident" that damaged his car and to call me. The odd thing is- Never heard from him!

 

[Bird]

Bird

I can't recall ever reading anything from you that I've ever disagreed with but on this I do.

If a person is used to driving an automatic applying the brake with the left foot and gas with the right, how can they possibly in the confusion hit the gas with their left foot if we agree that is their breaking foot. Why would they suddenly use their right foot for the brake (and in the confusion hit the gas) when they never use it for braking any other time.

A person that drives a stick uses the same foot for brake and gas and I don't see why they're less likely to get mixed up is a high stress situation then the person that never uses the same foot for both brake and gas?

I just don't see that driving style as being more dangerous I see it as being less.

OK, we'll assume you never get confused about which foot to use. But read the rest of what I said. When you apply the brake with your left foot, where is your right foot? Still close to, or over the accelerator pedal, isn't it? And in a real emergency, when you go to maximum braking, I'll guarantee that you'll stomp that accelerator pedal, either from instinct bracing that foot on something, or from the deceleration forcing the weight of that leg and foot onto the accelerator. Apparently, I did a poor job of explaining. I never meant to imply that you would ever have your left foot on the gas, but with your left foot on the brake, your right foot will have the accelerator floorboarded.

Now of course there is the possibility that you'll never get into a real emergency and never crash . . . we hope. I just cannot understand why anyone would purposely take such a risk.

 

[Transit]

One question......... was she blonde???

I'm just sayin'......

No, that would not be politically correct to answer that question. Read between the lines.

 

[jimmyj]

OK, we'll assume you never get confused about which foot to use. But read the rest of what I said. When you apply the brake with your left foot, where is your right foot? Still close to, or over the accelerator pedal, isn't it? And in a real emergency, when you go to maximum braking, I'll guarantee that you'll stomp that accelerator pedal, either from instinct bracing that foot on something, or from the deceleration forcing the weight of that leg and foot onto the accelerator.

You are 100% correct Bird.

 

[brandoro]

I agree with Bird too. That left foot should be braced on the dead pedal not the brake.
Always interesting to see the car in front of you accelerate away with the brake lights on. I rode with a guy once who used his left foot to brake, not a pleasant drive as he seemed to be perpetually confused as to which foot to press down so the car was never at a steady speed but always speeding up or slowing down depending on which foot was winning. Had to be horrible hard on brake pads and rotors too.