[StarScream]

My biggest issue is with the Santro automatic. In stop and go traffic and while constantly shifting between the accelerator and brake, coupled with the high, upright seating position, gives me a pain in the muscle where the foot flexes while lifting off a pedal and pressing the other (Google says its called the intferior extensor retinaculum?). It doesn't happen all the time, just in very heavy traffic where one is using the two pedals a lot for a length of time.

This made me wonder whether automatics are really the boon that everybody says they are. I've noticed that in my manual Honda City the leg is not as flexed as it is in the Santro, so perhaps its got to do more with the car and its ergonomics rather than the auto vs manual debate.

[vivekiny2k]

I am also always barefoot on long drives. I feel my feet constricted by shoes.

Originally Posted by mercedised

I place a wooden block on the floor and try to get the foot just as high as the accelerator pedal. This makes sure that the foot is as close to 180 deg. as possible.

I have thought of it, but the risk of the block getting under the pedals is not worth it.

[Joe M]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

I think it is established by now that quite a few people on this thread have evidenced pain specifically in the areas mentioned.
Perhaps you may not agree, and better still you may have never experienced this (and I really hope you never do) - however, the pain is quite real for others.

This pain is 100% real, and has been in existence for years.

I have even seen a bus driver fitting a small wooden platform on the floor just in front of the accelerator pedal so that he doesn't have to keep his ankle always at angle/pressure. With that wooden block in position, he just had to rest his foot on this block and lightly press the accelerator pedal's tip ( which is at almost the same height ). He found this method useful, maybe because the bus' ergonomics didn't match his body stile/height etc, but he was using this from morning to evening, every day.

There's another cheap solution I used once, which proved very effective. Wrap a crepe bandage around the ankle and foot when you're starting the long trip, or when you start feeling the ankle pain. This has helped me drive for hours without any pain on the ankle.

[YVES]

If its a long drive on a two lane good roads , I used the heel on accelrator with toes resting on the floor , found it comfortable to relieve pressure on heel driving barefoot.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

One aspect of long drives that is quite a bother is the condition of the drivers' right foot.
....
This leads to pain in the right foot:
....
2) Pain in the toes/ball of the foot: Caused due to the constant pressure on the pedals (accelerator/brake)
....
Can you share your own experience and how you mitigated this issue?

Originally Posted by geeash

I am a orthopaedic surgeon.I haven't heard of such a disease till now.The pain in foot may come because of number of other reasons. What you have found out may me a medical miracle :-)

Over the past year I have generally been doing 4-5 hours of driving everyday, part of it in choc-a-bloc traffic. Almost a year ago, I used to get a strange pain around the ball of the foot and head toes due to too much driving in B2B traffic. Its hard to explain the pain, but it used to exist for a few metres of walking after getting out of the car after long B2B stints. Also, there was excessive pain if I tried to stretch the toes upwards or curl it downwards, as though something was locked inside. It would go away after some walking around / stretching and would again return only after another bad stint in B2B driving. When I asked a doctor about it, I remember him saying something about this term - Sesamoiditis. geeash is the doc here and would be able to explain better about that condition.

I don't use the choked, B2B traffic route anymore and instead take a detour (along some village highway roads) since almost a year now, so the pain hasn't ever come back. Occasional stints in B2B are unavoidable in Bangalore but don't cause any pain nowadays, thankfully.

I have to mention - whenever I got this pain back then, it was always in horrible B2B traffic and never ever on highways. Not experienced any of the other categories detailed by the OP ever, touchwood!

[anandjha]

Experienced the pain last year on my NH2 trip of around 1200 km. But it was more in the shin area. The pain, which after a while had become unbearable, had started the first day driving around 400-500 km on the first day.

Thinking over it I concluded that it was more due to high seating position of my Wagon R. Extending this logic it would also affect drivers of average height in any tallboy or SUV. In Ritz forum you can find similar issues.

The cause I think is that high seating position bends your ankle an awkward angle. Cars with low-slung seats are better ergonomically, since first; your ankle stays at relaxed angle. Second, the entire leg keeps almost straight and the force of pressing the accelerator travels in a straight line.

The solution too is simple. Since you drive Innova I think it might work for you.

Take a mat to raise the height of the floor. Decide upon the thickness by testing it with newspapers kept under the floor mat. Just ensure that your ankles are relaxed, that you are not bending it upwards while pressing the accelerator. Second, take your seat one notch back and adjust your backrest accordingly, to keep your knees are as straight as they can be.

Maintain this as your seating position for long drives. It had worked for me; perhaps it should also work for you.

[iamswift]

I have this issue too. In drives that takes long time, I anchor the down portion of foot to the floor and have to make an angle to press 'A'.
In bumper-to-bumper slow moving traffic, the same effect is felt in left leg too and I frequently press and slow release 'C' by anchoring left leg to the floor and create angle.
If someone is not anchoring, probably you won't feel the pain.
Probably seat position is too close. I'll try and adjust it further down and try.
I'm nowadays slanting my right leg to press 'A'. I guess this gives some reprieve.
See image for better understanding.

Originally Posted by mercedised

I place a wooden block on the floor and try to get the foot just as high as the accelerator pedal. This makes sure that the foot is as close to 180 deg. as possible.

I have seen some bus drivers using this technique.
But in car, I'm just worried a bit.
In a sudden brake situation, the plank might move because of our quick shifting of our leg from A to B and in the process, it gets under the brake?

[zenren]

Originally Posted by StarScream

My biggest issue is with the Santro automatic. In stop and go traffic and while constantly shifting between the accelerator and brake, coupled with the high, upright seating position, gives me a pain in the muscle where the foot flexes while lifting off a pedal and pressing the other (Google says its called the intferior extensor retinaculum?). It doesn't happen all the time, just in very heavy traffic where one is using the two pedals a lot for a length of time.

I thought Drive gear in AT have enough torque to move the car forward if we release our foot from the brake, without using the accelerator. Is it not possible to drive by just releasing and pressing the brake pedal while in bumper to bumper traffic?

Smallest automatic I've driven is Cruze and hence the idea I have about AT might be a little biased. It felt convenient but if the lower powered cars need accelerator intervention in stop and go traffic, I guess I'd be happier with ABC pedals on a similarly priced MT one segment up, considering the premium they charge on automatics

Originally Posted by mercedised

I place a wooden block on the floor and try to get the foot just as high as the accelerator pedal. This makes sure that the foot is as close to 180 deg. as possible.

Originally Posted by iamswift

I have seen some bus drivers using this technique.
But in car, I'm just worried a bit.
In a sudden brake situation, the plank might move because of our quick shifting of our leg from A to B and in the process, it gets under the brake?

I've faced it once when I was driving barefoot and its one of the really scary moments I've had while driving. My slip-on footwear somehow went under the brake pedal and blocked it. Luckily it was a 4-lane highway with lean traffic and I had enough time to get it out.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by zenren

I thought Drive gear in AT have enough torque to move the car forward if we release our foot from the brake, without using the accelerator. Is it not possible to drive by just releasing and pressing the brake pedal while in bumper to bumper traffic?

Yes the Santro AT affords that feature. Consider also, in stop and go,that this does not really help the right foot, as instead of pressing A most of the time, it's pressing B most of the time.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by zenren

I thought Drive gear in AT have enough torque to move the car forward if we release our foot from the brake, without using the accelerator. Is it not possible to drive by just releasing and pressing the brake pedal while in bumper to bumper traffic?

Smallest automatic I've driven is Cruze and hence the idea I have about AT might be a little biased. It felt convenient but if the lower powered cars need accelerator intervention in stop and go traffic, I guess I'd be happier with ABC pedals on a similarly priced MT one segment up, considering the premium they charge on automatics

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

Yes the Santro AT affords that feature. Consider also, in stop and go,that this does not really help the right foot, as instead of pressing A most of the time, it's pressing B most of the time.

Of course, the Santro does creep and that is very useful in bumper-to-bumper traffic. And as joybhowmik explains you still have to stop with the brakes. What I meant was, in situations where the traffic opens up a little and there are people angling to get in to your lane, you need to accelerate a little faster than creep speed and then consequently brake harder. There are times when you have to this a lot, especially when traffic is thick for miles like in evening rush hour, that's when the pain starts and you need to stretch the ankle out straight to alleviate it.

[mercedised]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

I have thought of it, but the risk of the block getting under the pedals is not worth it.

Originally Posted by iamswift

If someone is not anchoring, probably you won't feel the pain.
Probably seat position is too close. I'll try and adjust it further down and try.

Place that thing under the carpet and fix it using double tape. It's done.

[HillMan]

Most driving problems are solved by seating posture.

Simplest solutions is to;
- See if a small pillow helps on the seat or behind the back. You might, then, look to get adequate padding for seat covers.
- Attach appropriate size Pedal covers. It will help with improving foot position.

[Dieseldunk]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

Interesting point. Yes I agree, people with a pre-existing condition such as a healed fracture or ligament tear, may be more likely to feel pain.
However, in my case, I have never had any injury on any part of my legs. So it's not a pre-existing condition in my case.

Does being overweight make some people more susceptible than others. Possibly. .
Cruise Control - but not available on all vehicles.

there are others as well. And quite a few don't have this problem.

Are the people without this problem doing things differently than those with it?

Well to start of the issue is related more to personal drivingstyles some listed below
heavy foot on the accelarator
driving with a tightened leg (muscles)
sitting much to forward
hard soled footwear/slippers
using more of big toe for actions
not taking a break between a consecutive 100-150km journey

Weight can cause issues like more strain on the lower hips but ankle not much it could be because the way we position our foot on the pedal to floor

cheers

[geeash]

As for an expert opinion since i am a orthopaedic surgeon, the pain in the foot other than fractures and ligament injuries (sprains) are commonly caused by below ( in no particular order) as far as i know
1. Plantar fasciitis
2. Calcaneal spur
3. Sesamoiditis
4. Gout
5. Hallux deformitis ( valgus or varus)
6. Bunion
7. Metatarsalgia
8. Retro calcaneal bursitis
9. Peroneal tendinitis
10. Accessory navicular bone
11. Bursitis
12. Corn/ callosities
13. Peripheral neuropathis and sciatica

As far as what little orthopaedics i know ( from my D.ORTHO, MS (ORTHO), M.Ch(Orth) (U.K)), any of the above mentioned condition can be aggravated by prolonged strain of foot ( namely driving). I guess you guys those who have this problem should consult a specialist nearby or visit me if you are in chennai ;-)

What joybhowmik is suffering looks like it is plantarfasciitis due to spur with or without retro calcaneal bursitis in simple terms

[noopster]

I think you need to spend some time getting your seating position absolutely perfect to avoid pain not only in your legs but also your lower back. What I like about new age cars is that they offer a plethora of permutations of seat height, distance from the pedals, steering wheel height relative to torso and also in some cases the reach for your arms. Use these effectively to find the most comfortable position you can to avoid strain.

Am also find it a little odd that its your right leg that is hurting. I find that, especially with a hard clutch, it's my left leg that hurts on long trips or when there is a lot of gear changing as in stop/go traffic. That problem has reduced significantly after I bought an AT; even in an MT car, oiling/greasing the clutch pedal or even changing the clutch pad when it gets too hard helps (a common issue with Swift clutches, incidentally).

The only time I faced a problem with my right leg is on a recent US road trip where I drove on occasion more than 600 miles (1000 km) a day. Apart from the sheer volume of driving involved (I have never driven more than half that in India in a day) I think one more reason was that the driving was so monotonous (65 mph for hundreds of miles at a stretch) that stiffness set in more easily. The cruise control did help in this scenario but that brought its own set of problems (staying awake one of the them!)