[Blr_RK]

Reason why right leg should be used for braking is that the car should not accelerate during braking. Simple reason. If you are trying to apply brakes, you are trying to slow down, not accelerate. This also ensures thst thr process is fool proof. It would be dangerous if brake and accelerator are pressed simultaneously even by mistake.

[theqca]

I tried it out just to see what the comfort level is like. While some might argue over the methods and technical aspects.

On my manual shift Mahindra TUV 300 the main problem I had was when you need to downshift and press the brakes at the same time.

On my Honda City Automatic it was fine. Its just that I had to get used to using both legs while driving the Honda - Didn't see any clear advantage of doing this though on the sort of roads we usually drive on.

[shamanth]

Using Left foot on brake on a moving car is dangerous, it would lead to sudden and not so controlled braking.

That said, if you are using a AMT car with no hill assist feature, the car will roll-back a little when you remove your right leg from brake in slopes and try to accelerate, in bumper to bumper traffic, this will lead to hitting two wheeler or car behind you, as they would be few cms behind you.

So trick is to either use handbrake and then release it after car starts moving, This method is time consuming and not easy, if you put too much brake car wont move, half brake car might still go back and hit someone, by the time you move 100 people will be honking behind you as next red signal would have fallen.

Else when car is in stationary and on slope use left leg on brake, accelerate, when cars move ahead remove your left leg and next use it again, until next stop on inclined slope.

This is the left leg trick that have made my life easy driving Nexon AMT, not for this trick probably i would have sold it by now, since i have been using Honda City TC AT for 10 years which never rolls back in whatever slope.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by WhiteSierra

When I drove an automatic for the first time ever in the United States after driving a manual for many years in India, I actually put my left leg on brake and applied more force on the pedal (thinking it to be a clutch), the vehicle stalled abruptly, this was in the parking lot of University and it was such an awkward moment in front of my new friends at the University


May be my brain programmed my left leg to use only clutch. I always use right leg between accelerator and brake in Manuals and I use only right leg to control accelerator or brake in Automatics. I use the dead pedal for my left leg to rest it as well as for safety. Strangely, I don't have this issue with Gokarts, may be due to the seating position and the pedals and our legs being placed far off.


I just want to buy an electric vehicle, it's regenerative charging method will help me only use right leg and only one pedal, the accelerator. Whenever I want to slow down, I can just remove my foot off the accelerator, less strain to our foot and more gain in terms of range gain.

Haha, I exactly did that when I moved to an automatic in the past but glad I did only once. Its otherwise a breeze to switch the right foot between A and B pedals while your left foot is chilling on the dead pedal all the time. I can't even imagine using the left foot to brake and it would be super counter intuitive to say the least.

[INJAXN]

I tried it once, long back on an empty road, at speed of 20-25 kmph. I could not apply the pressure slowly and pressed the break pedal all way down and car came to full stop at once. It was scary, never tried it again.

Now if I have to try again, I will have to do lot of training for having more control over left foot.

For learners, left foot breaking can be difficult and dangerous. There will always be a chance of applying pressure on both the pedals, even trained drivers can face this issue in case of sudden breaking.

[bhphog]

I have been using the left foot to brake since the last 5 years for more than 2lakh kms+.

It started as a need to drive faster when rallying. Not going in depth as to why that is required. It did help me improve my driving and eventually shaved quite a few seconds in my lap. Mind you, this is all on manual cars.

I now brake with left foot normally, its just natural now.

However, it has no real world use for 99.99% of the people. No advantage whatsoever.

[ButterRider 7]

Voted for no. It is not good to brake with the left foot irrespective of the transmission system. The use of feet and hands is an automated process that our body develops with practice.

The right foot can easily adjust the required pressure on the throttle and the brake. The left foot recognises the clutch pedal well which has a simple operation. However braking requires gradual and controlled pressure for which the right foot is trained.

The moment one uses the left foot for the braking, the foot, being only used to the clutching and de clutching, applies sudden pressure similar to the clutch. This causes sudden braking and locking of the wheels and hence could be dangerous and can create a panic situation for the others.

[luvDriving]

I too tried it once while driving in the city. Panic set in because now I had both legs on the brake, having forgotten to take the right leg off it ! I could not change gear which was required because I was in a high gear and close to stalling.

Never again have I tried to use the left leg for braking. The right leg has been trained for many years now to shuffle between A and B. No change of duties otherwise even my brain doesn't know what to do !!

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by shamanth

That said, if you are using a AMT car with no hill assist feature, the car will roll-back a little when you remove your right leg from brake in slopes and try to accelerate, in bumper to bumper traffic, this will lead to hitting two wheeler or car behind you, as they would be few cms behind you.

Just to put your comments on using handbrake technique for hill starts in some context:

This has been the normal practice for decades and decades for millions of drivers the world around. In many nation being able to use the handbrake efficiently and smoothly is part of the driving test. You would fail if you can’t do it properly, take to long, roll back etc.

I would consider it a normal driving practice that should be mastered by everyone. It’s not that difficult, but as with most things in live, it needs to taught properly, and practice makes perfect.

Jeroen

[shamanth]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Just to put your comments on using handbrake technique for hill starts in some context:

Jeroen

I would agree this for normal automatic cars like TC, DCT, CVT etc. But AMT is a different ball game, I drive both TC and AMT so can say the difference. My TC Honda city would never roll back unless it really big hilly slope.

For AMT to roll back, it does not need a Hill, a 10 deg slope would make it roll back. You would end up using hand brake 100s of times in stop and go traffic, so using legs is better way to overcome the AMT roll back issue.

Also don't think there are millions of AMTs around the world, limited to India and few developing nations i guess.