Left-Foot Braking and my Mom.

[Matt]

I got my permit on Thursday, April 20th, and my mom has been constantly asking if I wanted to go drive. I've been saying no due to the fact that she always pesters me about left foot braking, as it is illegal on Connecticut. It's just natural for my left foot to hit the brake, and I thikn that the law is dumb, however, I wanted to go drive today, and she wouldn't let me due to that I said that. The kicker is that she does it at almost every single stop, she says 'because I drove a standard and it is a bad habit to get into.'

I would like to get some tips on how to prevent me from left foot braking while on the roads, and to only use it on racetracks.


Thanks,
Matt.

[Bluebottle]

Assuming you're driving an automatic, try sitting on your left foot! I know someone who did that for a while when he got an auto after many years of driving a manual gearbox because he kept stamping on the brake when he wanted to change gear, not good when you're about to overtake!

[silver bullet]

Originally Posted by MattA1

I got my permit on Thursday, April 20th, and my mom has been constantly asking if I wanted to go drive. I've been saying no due to the fact that she always pesters me about left foot braking, as it is illegal on Connecticut.

Why is it illegal? and How do they enforce this law?
Sometimes on long motorway journeys, I actually use my left foot on the accelerator if I get pins & needles in my right one

[Truckosaurus]

What about people without a right leg? [Weak Pun Alert] They must be hopping mad.

[silver bullet]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

What about people without a right leg? [Weak Pun Alert] They must be hopping mad.

I'm now picturing the classic Pete & Dud sketch

[bella]

for starters, drive a real car with a proper gearbox

personally i don't have a problem with automatics, but if i'm half asleep, i tend to tuck my spare foot under the seat, or as 'bottle says, sit on it.

[Tim Falce]

I have never been able to left foot brake on autos or manuals, it just feels odd. I suppose it would be helpful for racing if I could.

[garcon]

Depends how often you're prepared to spin off before you perfect the technique falce....

As for it being illegal, there are gazillions of State laws that are unenforceable - doesn't stop 'em passing them though!

[vs346]

There's a law in one of the states that prevents you from driving barefoot. But that's unenforceable too!

[Sharky]

Originally Posted by vs346

There's a law in one of the states that prevents you from driving barefoot. But that's unenforceable too!

Perhaps the police could set up random checkpoints and ask drivers to show their feet.

But I have to echo Silver bullet's question. Why would that be illegal?

[Matt]

My mother says that it is so that people don't ride the brakes.

[kingfloopy]

I used to have this problem too. It was hard to get out of because the Bronco II I was driving at the time would stall if I didn't keep some pressure on the gas when I stopped. I don't really remember how I got out of it. If you're in a truck try driving with your leg up against the door (might work in a car too if you have room). This way it will be awkward and slow to pull your leg to the brake pedal.

The main reason its bad is that some people will hold their foot down on the gas and brake at the same time which will cause the cars to not stop. If you rest your foot on the pedal it can cause the brakes to wear faster too. But the same can be said of people driving a standard who use the clutch for a foot rest.

J.D.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

I learnt to drive on a manual gearbox, but the car didn't have a footplate/rest for my left foot when not actually working the clutch. As a result I developed the bad habit of leaving my foot on the clutch pedal (not pressing it).

I was broken of this habit by an Uncle who would punch my left thigh whenever he saw me doing it. Now on long journeys my left foot is tucked up against the seat.

Using my left foot for anything other than the clutch is totally alien to me, even when driving my brothers 4x4 Auto.

[strider]

Originally Posted by falcemob

I have never been able to left foot brake on autos or manuals, it just feels odd. I suppose it would be helpful for racing if I could.

I know a mega-successful sports car driver (Le Mans winner etc) who told me he learnt to left foot brake by driving an automatic on the public roads.

[Woolley]

I rarely drive an auto, but I always left foot brake when I do, it just seems natural.

The problem is when yo switch back to the manual. On one occasion having just got back into my own car, I found myself braking from 70mph for an island and wondering how I was now going to work the clutch...

[josvandeperre]

How did you get into the habit of left foot braking if you only just have your permit - or shouldn't we be told ! - in England if you get an auto license you may not drive a manual - moral as has been said above : learn to drive properly and on a manual - you will understand car control far better - its not a video game or a go-kart

[Matt]

It's mainly a habit, I mean, one foot for each pedal seemed burned into my memory somehow.

[EERO]

Originally Posted by Sharky

Perhaps the police could set up random checkpoints and ask drivers to show their feet.

But I have to echo Silver bullet's question. Why would that be illegal?

The law dates back to the '30's when GM's Hydromatic tramissions were an innovation. They were not very common and the laws, as it was explained to me as I was learning to drive (in the neighboring State of Rhode Island which had a similar law) , was that people would not develop bad habits driving the rare automatic tranmission that could lead to lethal mistakes were they to drive the far more plentiful manuals.

Clearly at this point, the vast majority of cars in the US are Automatics and the law might be no longer relevant. I recently drove one of my son's friends home after a play date who asked me why I "... kept moving that shift thing around"

[EERO]

Originally Posted by Woolley

I rarely drive an auto, but I always left foot brake when I do, it just seems natural.

The problem is when yo switch back to the manual. On one occasion having just got back into my own car, I found myself braking from 70mph for an island and wondering how I was now going to work the clutch...

Sorry, Wooley, I missed your post the first time through. You have clearly confirmed my point above.

[Sharky]

Originally Posted by EERO

I recently drove one of my son's friends home after a play date who asked me why I "... kept moving that shift thing around"

That reminded me of a story my mechanic once told me. A customer of his bought hes first automatic car. The gearbox was one of those that didn't need a pedal or a button to switch it to R-D-P, etc. Once she was doing around 100km/h when she had a flashback of her days driving with a manual and accidentaly "shifted" into reverse. As you can imagine the gearbox virtually desintegrated and since the car had been taken out of the market many years back, a spare gearbox could not be found rendering the car useless.

[Razor]

When I drive (I just got my Learner Licence/Permit) in my old man's manual car, when I dont need to use the clutch, I break with my left foot. I find it funny that when I drove in my falcon he got up me every time when I used left-foot braking (my falcon is an auto) but when I am in his 4x4 and use left foot braking, he doesn't make a sound about it.

[Osella]

I taught myself to left-foot brake my auto- it took about a year to do it right - and another year or two to do it instinctively when emergency stopping.

Here's why you should--

when you stop in a hurry in a manual, the first thing you do is uncouple the drivetrain, eg, hit the clutch, whilst coming off the gas; then brake;

whereas in an auto, with one foot, the drivetrain is connected, all the while you've come off the gas prior to getting on the brake. So you'll stop quicker. You can always use two feet for some major league pedal pressure!

It gives your left foot something to do...

I keep my eye in with a manual Citroen which effectively has a switch for the brake-- there's no way your feet will confuse the two cars

Also, on wet roundabouts in the UK, the facility to shift the balance of the car
around really helps traction.

I tried, once, to demonstrate to a friend, what happens if you corner without coming off the gas at all- and it frightened the life out of me- mainly because it was so bleedin' quick accelerating out of the corner...

Eats brakes though!