Left foot braking.

[MikeGMT]

I know a few drivers of autos who use both feet while manouvering. I just stick to using my right foot. Honest John is a huge advocate of using both feet.
Left Foot Braking

[BEJ]

Always used left foot braking since my rallying days. People who are not used to this method usually end up with their heads on the windscreen - it does take practice, but in an emergency situation it could save a nano second or two.

[green van man]

Cross axil with a torque biasing diff and you'll left foot brake if you want to move under your own power.

Cross axil, when you have one wheel on each axil of a 4wd vehicle lifted and spinning.
Torque biasing diff, limited slip type differential that puts about 3x the spinning wheels torque to the stationary wheel, when a wheel is lifted it has no torque so 3x0=0 left foot brake and the spinning wheel is loaded by the brakes resulting in 3x something = moving.

Paul.

[GSTheo119]

It can work and is arguably a benefit for older drivers who end up flooring the gas pedal when they really want the brake BUT the BIG reason not to left foot brake an auto is if you are likely to revert to a manual car. Emergency braking is all about instinct. Once you've got used to the auto and left foot braking, slamming your left foot down on the clutch pedal doesn't tend to slow you down.

[canis]

Originally Posted by MikeGMT

Honest John is a huge advocate of using both feet.
Left Foot Braking

Originally Posted by Honest John

Because in the absence of a clutch to separate the driven wheels from the engine [left foot braking is] the only way to remain in full control of an automatic, especially when manouvering. An engine may surge at any time

Must admit, I've always found this to be difficult. A slight gradient, or maybe a pebble under one wheel, and the tick-over speed isn't enough to move the car so a little throttle needs to be applied. I don't feel I can predict exactly how much power will result from the accelerator dab, and can I get back to the brake pedal quickly enough should it be too much? This uncertainty leaves me feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Having said that, it's never been too much of a problem in the past, the few automatics I've driven, and there is the handbrake of course.

Reminds me of a funny story involving a fork-lift truck:

The fork lifts I've used have no clutch, they have a brake pedal on each foot so the driver can apply enough power but still control movement precisely, where positioning must be inch-perfect.

For a long time we had a really old truck, it had no power steering and was big a cumbersome to maneuver around the machinery, and through the narrow corridors between pallets of carboard boxes and rolls of polythene, but it was possible with skill and care. It was big, and it was orange.

At some point the factory obtained another. Much smaller, power steered, a little Nissan with more or less the same lifting capability but generally easier to use. The pedals had the same arrangement, a brake pedal on each foot and a throttle on the right.

But there was a subtle difference. The big orange one would creep along the floor when in gear if the brake was released. The Nissan tried to be "clever", it would only move if you pressed the throttle pedal a bit. And it was quite sensitive, you had to be very gentle with it. Too gentle in my opinion, it was difficult to handle gently.

One day the supervisor decided that nobody was allowed to use a fork truck anymore except him, despite there being no accidents to date. If I needed to move a pallet, I was now to use the pallet wheels - a pump-action affair with no brakes, and moving loads weighing 1.25 tons wasn't trivial, but that was his decision and I would have to comply.

So I'm dragging this pallet, a full load of polythene beaded resin in sacks, one-and-a-qaurter tons of it. Even the slightest gradient would roll easily out of control, this was really difficult. I get round a corner only to discover the supervisor has parked the forks right in the way, the middle of a T-junction between extruder number 1 and the bagging machines, and there was no way past. I called out, no reply. I looked around for him, nowhere in sight. I've got to get this resin through soon, it's a busy job, I need this stuff in position now.

"Oh, I suppose it won't matter if I just move it out the way" I say to myself. But I don't want to be caught sitting in it after being told not to. Hmm, perhaps if I just start it, and roll it back so I can get past with the pallet wheels, making sure the wheels don't go into the drain gid because if it goes in there I won't have the strength to pull it out again. No, the forks will have to move. Still no sign of the supervisor, oh sod it, I'll do it.

Dutifully the forks started on the turn of the key. Standing beside the vehicle, I selected reverse, and nothing happened. This was the Nissan truck, it won't move unless the throttle is dabbed. So I dab it slightly with my hand, it only needs to get moving slightly. I knew it was sensitive, so I gently gave it a little press, and it rolled backwards - straight onto my foot, where it ran out of power and stopped. I had to overcome the reaction to attempt to pull my foot out from under the vehicle, I knew that would be futile. I also felt I should not attempt to clench of operate the foot in any way, as this would likely do more damage than I was already experiencing, and though the pain was intense, I must consider my options carefully.

So there I am, with a load of resin I can't get through, a fork lift truck I'm not allowed to drive in my way, which I've somehow parked on my own foot. It's not even like I can see very very what's going on anymore, because I can't move, pinned by this truck to the factory floor.

Seeing no other alternative, other than screaming for help, I gave the truck another dab on the throttle, let it roll a bit further and just get off my foot at least. It rolled dutifully off my foot, and gained extra speed "downhill" as it dropped to the floor, and out of my reach to stop it from rolling into the mains isolator box attached to the side of a bagging machine, where it stopped abruptly. So - my first ever accident, and I wasn't even driving! Oh the irony!

I can't remember what happened after this. Maybe I jumped in the forks and took the pallet to where it was supposed to be. Maybe I just left the truck there, I don't remember. I never owned up to the damage. Nobody ever said anything about it.

I do remember my foot began to throb. I wanted to remove my shoe and inspect my foot for damage, but I doubted I'd be able to get it on again, so I kept it on for the rest of the shift. The foot did swell dramatically for the next week or so, but I got over it. I don't seem to have incurred any ill effects.

I don't think there's a moral to this story, it just makes me chuckle now and then. Maybe a lesson in driving vehicles appropriately? :-)

[john.wigley]

A cautionary tale indeed, 'canis'. Your story also makes a strong case for the wearing of safety shoes. In some companies that I have worked for, wearing them was mandatory when on the shop floor. They were issued FOC to all employees (including contractors), and not wearing them when at work was a disciplinary offence. Glad that you can laugh about it now, though!

Regards, John.

[oragex]

Sometimes it's good to try, in case one day during a trip you just hurt the right a bit the right ankle. But I like to rest the left foot on the brakes at a traffic light so I move on faster when it turns green.

[green van man]

Originally Posted by oragex

Sometimes it's good to try, in case one day during a trip you just hurt the right a bit the right ankle. But I like to rest the left foot on the brakes at a traffic light so I move on faster when it turns green.

With a drive through hand brake ?
Agreed I drive a manual but come to a stop and flick the switch, handbrake on, traffic moves, select first and drive off, and repeat at next stop.
Paul.

[T5Sweep]

Usually used in drag cars to load the transmission up prior to a launch to lessen the chance of breakages.

I also tried once when I was a bit younger, could have licked the windscreen!

[Proghound]

The current car is my first auto, having had the manual version of it immediately before.

In my not-so early days with it, I found myself preparing for an overtake on the exit from the next bend. Knowing there would only be a short-ish stretch of road available if it was clear, I thought I had better not wait for kickdown, and went straight for the clutch to make a fast change down on the manual side of the box You can imagine it pulled up pretty smartly! Thankfully there was nothing behind.