July 02, 2015 04:44AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
This was something Ove commented on facebook.... I have to admit, when driving an automatic I use my left foot for the brake
[www.vox.com] could this work perseverance furthers |
July 02, 2015 04:57AM
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Registered: 10 years ago
Posts: 136 |
Most modern race cars have only two pedals now, and I think most racing drivers use one foot on each. They usually started driving gokarts, where you have to drive like that, as the steering make it impossible to cross your legs over. Rally drivers also use left foot braking a lot to control the drift angle. This does not work in VW road cars, as they cut the power when you touch the brake. Very annoying. I rarely use left foot braking in the one series BMW, but it is sometimes useful in hairpin bends to build turbo boost while still braking for the apex, so the car is ready to accelerate without turbo lag. As Daniel points out, when driving manual transmission cars most of the time, the left leg can be somewhat lead footed for the purpose! :-) |
July 02, 2015 06:10AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 799 : O Porto |
This is the reason why, when I drive an automatic, I MUST keep the left foot away from any pedal, or I would press the brake way to much into the floor. :/ I am used to 3 pedals in the car, and never recal pressing the wrong one by mistake. I am suprirsed with the figures about pressing the wrong pedal. Of course in a go-kart, there is no possible mistake, and no clutch as well. Building cars with one right foot combined pedal with throttle and brake, would be much better than use both feet one at a time, except for advanced sport drivers who press all pedals at once sometimes. Had sticky accelerator few times, and hit the clutch and turn of the key worked fine. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2015 06:12AM by Jose Pinto. |
July 02, 2015 06:20AM
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Registered: 10 years ago
Posts: 136 |
The BMW i3 can be driven with only one pedal. You hardly ever have to use the brake pedal, since the car regenerates power when you take your foot off the throttle, and this makes it decelerate very well. Besides, it has no gears or clutch. Let go of the throttle, and the car will stop completely. Step on it, and the car takes off again. The brake pedal is only for emergency braking.
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July 04, 2015 12:36AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 670 |
July 04, 2015 12:47AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 670 |
The only time I would mix up pedals is when getting in an auto and trying to hit the clutch to start the car (damn I hate those safety features, why can't we just start with a turn of the key?).
I guess two feet driving in an auto would be just as dangerous, as people might press both pedals in an emergency and then back off the brake while still on the throttle. |
July 04, 2015 09:21PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
Ove brings up an interesting point about go-carts, I built and raced go carts for a good part of my life (I'm surprised I still don't have one) and I'm sure those habits haven't worn off yet Power braking go carts is just in my blood so when I started driving a lot of cars with auto transmissions at dealers I found it normal to use both feet to drive them.
Motorcycles switched sides for the shifter and brake pedals around the mid 70s (I had my 71 Norton Commando till about 15 years ago), but after owning the newer bikes with the shifter on the left all these years I still have times when I shift with the brake pedal Old habits die hard ... |