Left-foot braking??

[Apex]

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/why-most-dr ... 73142.html

Entire article title: "why-most-drivers-should-brake-with-their-left-foot"

Would be interested in opinions or feedback here, just out of curiosity.

The "Read more" at the bottom wouldn't open, so I have not been able to read the entire article.

It's not for me. My personal take is that it could lead to confusion at any time, emergency or not, and maybe especially when/if talking on a cell.
Your legs get jammed up, and your right foot is still sort of on the accelerator. Not wise.

I have on rare occasions used left-foot braking, but mainly to activate my brake lights when someone is following too close, it sends a message to back off.

I now drive an automatic trans, but did drive stick for 12 years, not sure how stick drivers would/could do this. I'll stay with right foot braking.

[Fozzer]

Blimey!.... ...!

Three pedals?.... ...!

Accelerator on the right twist-grip.
Clutch on the left handlebar.
Brake in front of the right foot-peg!

Gear-changey-thing in front of the left foot-peg.

Long time since I drove vehicle with more that two wheels and bunch of pedals!

Paul... ...!

[ozzy72]

I used to use left foot breaking when racing... nowadays I just use it to scare tail-gaters

[expat]

I used to use left foot breaking when racing... nowadays I just use it to scare tail-gaters

So I am not the only one then............


However, if you have ever tried to brake with your left foot, it can be an interesting experience. I have tried to change my hard wiring over right foot braking several times. Oddly, when karting, it is natural, but in a car, it I find it rather odd and judging the pedal pressure has made me make semi emergency stops for no particular reason.....
But what is I find interesting is the quoted stopping distance in the article. We are still using figures from the days of drum brakes. As show by Top Gear a couple of weeks ago, to have a stopping distance of 271 feet, you actually need to be travelling at 112 mph (TG used a standard diesel Astra for the test). So taking in that into account with the modern braking systems we have in our cars today, we have actually mitigated the reaction time of breaking with the left foot..........................??

Matt

[Fozzer]

I used to use left foot breaking when racing... nowadays I just use it to scare tail-gaters

That's what happens when you use your left foot for braking....
...you finish up breaking your foot.

Paul.... ... ...!

There, their, they're..... ...!

On my Bike, I just gently press my front brake lever a couple of times (brake light) to warn the person (too close behind me...Ozzy's tail-gaters) that I am slowing down for traffic lights, junctions, etc, ahead!

[Apex]

Seems Yahoo news has 4 kinds of writers: Contributors, Editors at Large, Those Who Know, and Those Who Don't Know Jack. This guy is listed as an Editor at Large.
Now, we know what the other 3 are, I'm wondering what an Ed at Large defines out as.

The auto stuff oughta be left to Those Who Know Autos, or maybe Those Who Actually Know Jack.

[Strategic Retreat]

All in all, I believe braking with left foot (thing I only did on my old BMW when I wanted its rear to slide in a bend, and then only a small hit, a pulse and nothing more, on the center pedal was enough) should be taught with caution to front wheel drive automatic gear car users ONLY.

Three reasons. One, if you have a manual gear you must disconnect the clutch on stop or suffer engine shutdown in the middle of the road (which is annoying and blushingly shameful besides), and if you're using your left foot for the brake, it's quite difficult to press the clutch as well unless you have three legs (no quips, please). Two, it would severely curtail some of the most idiotic accidents seen in some Ridiculousness-like TV programs (for those who remember that TV show) hereabout of people doing the most idiotic things (one of which I just re-watched of some old woman capsizing her car AT SLOW SPEED WHILE PARKING) with their cars, idiotic accidents I can only ascribe at the bad management of an automatic gear. And three, FRONT wheel drive automatic because, if done on a REAR wheel drive... well, my experiences on my old BMW come to mind, and if done on a public road could become... problematic.

This being said, I find left foot braking to be excessively unnatural. Every time I tried it, no matter how carefully I used the pedal, I managed a four wheels lock emergency stop, even in my actual car that had an anti lock brake (I'm still not sure on how I managed to override the ABS), and if done on my old BMW it was a good way for me to cook rubber donuts.

[logjam]

Brakes you say? I'll have you know we always braked with our left foot . . . on the front tire that is.

[Strategic Retreat]

Brakes you say? I'll have you know we always braked with our left foot . . . on the front tire that is.

Just hope you wear steel tipped safety boots.

[Fozzer]

Brakes you say? I'll have you know we always braked with our left foot . . . on the front tire that is.

Before the marvellous invention of the rubber Brake Block... ...!

Paul....mostly breaking wind... ...!