[Closed] Why can't I brake with my left foot?

Everyone in the history of driving who heard about rally drivers left foot braking and thought they'd give it a try has done the same thing. I think your left foot is trained more for sensitivity on the way up, engaging the clutch, rather than on the way down - just takes practice, I guess.

Practice. You can brake with your left foot, you just haven't done it before so need to learn the dexterity.

No reason why you should't brake with your left foot in an auto...but a bit pointless really. There is no reason to for normal driving so just rest out your left foot.

Left foot braking All the time when I had an auto. Probably bad form, but if you've got 2 feet, might as well use them.

You’re conditioned just as you almost stop to fully disengage the clutch. If you’re relaxed you’ll do it without thinking, except you’ll really punch the brake.  Ask anyone who’s driven an automatic fir the first time.

You're not cynic-al's girlfriend are you op?

Not Dexterity, Sinisterity innit

Not be long til some boy racer comes along and starts talking about heel-toe something or other. Clearly the rest of us are doing it all wrong.

Yep, just practice.  I got pretty good at it with practice in the 80's when driving irresponsibly in front wheel drive hot hatches.  They needed left foot braking to curb the understeer/get the back out a bit.

What’s the point ?

You’ll just be braking with your left foot whilst the right ones on the Go pedal.

Thereby making noise from both ends.

Me thinks it’s rather an odd thing to do.

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Not be long til some boy racer comes along and starts talking about heel-toe something or other. Clearly the rest of us are doing it all wrong.

Noob - you cant heal-toe with your left foot.

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What’s the point ?

Keeps the turbo spooled up when making progress innit

Not be long til some boy racer comes along and starts talking about heel-toe something or other. Clearly the rest of us are doing it all wrong.

Well.. 🙂

Can't say I ever got any good at it and you'd have to be an arse to drive about like all the time but there is something very satisfying about getting one perfect. A bit like being able to wheelie on a bike - nice to know you have got the control and balance to do it right but not that much use after that unless you are 12.

In my car you use your left foot on the brake during launch control. It feels very odd just doing that. Only done it 3 times mine and also a daft waste of time thing to do. But if your car does it you have to do it once - its the law. And then again to show your friend because it was so much fun the first time. And then a third time to scare your wife and be told never to do that ever again.

Not be long til some boy racer comes along and starts talking about heel-toe something or other. Clearly the rest of us are doing it all wrong.

Now that's a different thing altogether, allowing you to shift down gears smoothly by matching the revs whilst simultaneously braking. The left foot just does it's normal clutchy things though. FWIW I learned to do it when I had a car that needed the automatic choke fixing, so it would stall unless you gave it a bit of gas for the first 5 minutes.

Anyway, you can train your left foot to brake, doesn't take too long to adapt if you go karting, though I would hazard a guess that the brakes are less sensitive than your typical road car.

I expect people that drive automatics might find it more useful on the road. I seem to remember seeing some older big heavy things with the brake pedal extending across so you could use 2 foot braking, which makes me thing the braking must have been alarmingly poor?

In terms of left foot braking as an understeer management thing I've never remotely mastered that.

Thanks. Seems like it's a training / practice / muscle memory type issue.

I think I just surprised myself (and my face) with how different it all was.

I often drive a John Deere Gator off-road and when it’s loaded up you need to brake and use engine braking on anything with a slight decline, so that’s braking with left foot whilst using a little bit of accelerator with your right foot. That took some getting used to

What’s the point ?

To stop understeer in a front wheel drive car, dabbing the brake shifts more weight to front wheels and removes/reduces understeer while still having the power on throttle.  You can do the same by lifting off the throttle but that can unbalance the car too much and put it into oversteer which you then have to correct/reapply throttle etc, which is a bit messy and jerky  and not fastest way around the corner.

If you want to try it out in a controlled environment then get down your local Go-Karting track. They only have a GO and a STOP pedal and they are separated by the steering column so it is one foot for each. You soon get used to it after a couple of laps.

Try working the clutch with your right foot, you'll wonder why your right leg is so weedy.

I bet Surfmat can left foot brake. And heel & toe. At the same time.

*swoons*

Ask anyone who’s driven an automatic fir the first time.

Not being an arse, but why would this be a thing?

Driving an auto for the first time the natural instinct is to use the right foot for braking just like in a manual.

it's a thing because most auto's have a double sized brake pedal and starting out there is a natural conditioning for most manual drivers to hit it with 'clutch power' using the left foot.  Normally it is a slow speed operation thing dribbling up to a junction or something.

it’s a thing because most auto’s have a double sized brake pedal and starting out there is a natural conditioning for most manual drivers to hit it with ‘clutch power’ using the left foot.  Normally it is a slow speed operation thing dribbling up to a junction or something.

This!  Exactly what I did when driving an automatic the first time. And spent the next few minutes trying to left foot brake and being amazed at how difficult it was to control.

Actually... the very first thing I did when getting in was wonder why I couldn't get the car to move, even to the point of getting out to see if there was a large rock under the wheel or something. What a fool I felt when I realised I'd been shoving down on the brake trying to find the bite point...

it’s a thing because most auto’s have a double sized brake pedal and starting out there is a natural conditioning for most manual drivers to hit it with ‘clutch power’ using the left foot.

I have to say I never considered using my left foot to brake in an automatic.

Everyone is different though I suppose.

it’s a thing because most auto’s have a double sized brake pedal

Literally none of the automatics I've driven in (Jazz, Civic, 3008, Insignia) have had a double-sized brake lever, just a lovely little platform for your left foot to stretch out on.

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Ask anyone who’s driven an automatic fir the first time.

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Not being an arse, but why would this be a thing?

Driving an auto for the first time the natural instinct is to use the right foot for braking just like in a manual.

Erm.exactly... right foot Go pedal, right foot Brake pedal.

Leave your left foot on the rest provided.

I can’t visualise any other way of driving an automatic vehicle.

Why do people confuse the simplest of tasks?

just a lovely little platform for your left foot to stretch out on.

this.

Also. Even if you did rely on logic rather than instinct, surely it would be ...

”ok, so there is no clutch, my left foot normally only does the clutch, so I guess my left foot does nothing now... oh look, there is a nice footrest for it right there 👍”

Why do people confuse the simplest of tasks?

Brexit.

"ok, so there is no clutch, my left foot normally only does the clutch, so I guess my left foot does nothing now… oh look, there is a nice footrest for it right there"

Exactly how it is... unless you're driving on automatic (hoho) and not really thinking about what you're doing.  Left foot goes down on the wide brake pedal thinking it's the clutch.

Left foot goes down on the wide brake pedal thinking it’s the clutch.

In all the autos I’ve owned and driven in the past (cars and vans) you would need to go much further over to the right than where the clutch would ordinarily be to actually do this.

bikebouy

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Ask anyone who’s driven an automatic fir the first time.
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Not being an arse, but why would this be a thing?
Driving an auto for the first time the natural instinct is to use the right foot for braking just like in a manual.
Erm.exactly… right foot Go pedal, right foot Brake pedal.
Leave your left foot on the rest provided.
I can’t visualise any other way of driving an automatic vehicle.
Why do people confuse the simplest of tasks?

Bikebuoy - you perhaps missed reference to 'for the first time'.  Even if you do park your left foot as suggested, the instinct is to hit the clutch the first time you stop.  Many people find their foot hunting for the clutch pedal automatically and ultimately find the brake instead.  Generally you only do this once!

If you're having to utilise left foot braking to manage understeer (i.e. trail braking) then you've already failed. Going way too hot into a bend and absolutely no excuse for it on a public road. Trail braking on track, fair enough if you do track days, but trail braking is usually utilised for mid engine or rear engine/drive cars where the front end weight distribution is light even under braking - for front wheel drive cars with a big front weight bias you're usually understeering because you've overloaded the tyres and reached the limits of grip, so loading up the inside front any more isn't going to help you and likely to cause the inside wheel to lock up if you've got an open diff, then you'll be off and into the gravel before you know what's hit you. A sensible entry speed and better through bend throttle control is needed with a front wheel drive car.

You can left foot brake an old pre-electronics Land Rover while driving it down rocky hills with the transfer box in low; there is so much bounce and backlash in the drivetrain that you brake gently while using light throttle, which winds up the drivetrain and keeps everything steady. But as soon as you lose concentration you will floor that foot because that's what it usually does.

I have done both of these. First time I used my left to stop the car rolling on the drive for some reason... thought I'd hit something it stopped so fast. I actually got out to see what I hit...

also first time driving a big waffly yank auto SUV, arrived at a junction after a few minutes. My left foot really wanted to press a clutch, so it found a pedal and pressed it. It want quite where it usually is (one of those big wide brake pedals some of you have never seen).

but it found it. And pressed it, to the floor. Like you would a clutch... luckily no one ran into the back. And my passengers were too busy laughing at me to be pissed.

I can’t visualise any other way of driving an automatic vehicle.

It's accidental - your instinct when stopping is to push the clutch down. So your foot does this. It catches the edge of the brake pedal (or more a lot of autos have pedals offset more to the left than on a three pedal car) so you slam to a stop due to the force your 'clutch foot' exerts.

You get used to it (I used to either tuck my foot up under my other leg or just make sure I kept it on the foot rest in the well and out of the way) but initially it's just a natural reaction.

and then you get back in a manual and forget to do the clutch and the engine stalls. *sigh*

It just takes practice. Doesn't take long for it to become second nature.

You’re conditioned just as you almost stop to fully disengage the clutch. If you’re relaxed you’ll do it without thinking, except you’ll really punch the brake. Ask anyone who’s driven an automatic fir the first time.

This.

I have to say I never considered using my left foot to brake in an automatic.

Everyone is different though I suppose.

First time I drove an automatic, braking gently for a set of traffic lights, almost came to a stop, instinctively pushed the clutch in, and almost headbutted the steering wheel.  I started driving with my left foot tucked up under the seat for a while after that.  Once you adjust it's no big deal, I can drive an auto just fine now, but suddenly changing something you've been doing for like ten years takes a little time to adjust.

Muscle Memory is a funny thing.

I've done the "auto clutch" brake test before too. It generally corrects itself pretty quickly though!

The other one I do is taking my left hand off the wheel to change gear in an LHD car. Subconciously my left had just sort of wanders around looking for a gearstick.  Then my conscious brain kicks in and I use my right hand.  Only happens if I've been cruising along for a while without changing gear.

Oddly if I drive a kart (which I'm okay at) I have no problem left foot braking. Different muscle memory I suppose.

I also still "unclip" when I roll to a stop using flat pedals 😉

I find that doing the unintended emergency stop in an auto happens after about 20-30 minutes, once you relax and driving becomes habitual again. Before that you're concentrating on the strange gearbox, and of course sitting on the wrong side of the car, driving on the right and finding your way out of a strange airport because it's usually a holiday rental.

It doesn't take long to learn to brake with the left foot. I had a Fiesta with a rogue automatic choke. Until it was fully warmed, in damp weather it would stall at idle and not restart so I would knock it into neutral, brake with the left and keep the revs up. The first time I tried it I almost got whiplash, by the time I got to work it was second nature.

The left leg is just used to "stamping" on the clutch as opposed to gradually increasing pressure on the brake.

Muscle memory? Pressing the brake on an auto instead of the clutch....

Try this video (bike content!)

Thats a great video

Does anyone drive an auto with two feet; braking with their left?

I do - it just takes a bit of practice. Early attempts were a bit harsh on the brakes but you/your left foot soon gets used to it 😀

Thats a great video

It really is.

I saw something similar on TV a few years ago.  They had a group of subjects wear glasses which inverted their vision.  They were all over the place, but after a couple of weeks had adjusted so that upside-downovision was the new normal.  Then they took the glasses off and none of them could walk properly.

Curious things, brains.

On long and boring journeys, generally in slow moving/crawling traffic, I drive with my left foot. It's an auto so I only have two pedals, took me a little while to have the finesse, but it's now fine.

it’s a thing because most auto’s have a double sized brake pedal and starting out there is a natural conditioning for most manual drivers to hit it with ‘clutch power’ using the left foot.  Normally it is a slow speed operation thing dribbling up to a junction or something.

As I pulled up outside home after picking up a new [German/ Silver/ automatic] car just on 2 years ago, I slowed down and stamped my left foot onto the brake pedal in an unfortunate muscle memory action of clutch down. The car coming up behind me was a bit surprised. As was I.

I drove a Kia Niro at the weekend. It's an automatic but has a pedal to release/set the hand brake.

<3 @wwaswas

It won't help that most auto spec cars will have massively over servoed brakes where you can barely feel the pads have engaged let alone give you any sense of control over the braking.  A major bug-bear of mine on most modern cars tbh.

As I pulled up outside home after picking up a new [German/ Silver/ automatic] car just on 2 years ago, I slowed down and stamped my left foot onto the brake pedal in an unfortunate muscle memory action of clutch down. The car coming up behind me was a bit surprised. As was I.

Was as a passenger in a jaguar when the driver was being trained to use the gear box like a manual, first time he changed gear, at a reasonable speed,he pushed down on the clutch which was obviously an over sized brake pedal. Apparently it was fairly common so much that the instructor had turned the dash cam around to capture our look of panic in the rear seats as the car slammed to a halt

To stop understeer in a front wheel drive car, dabbing the brake shifts more weight to front wheels and removes/reduces understeer while still having the power on throttle.

Just make sure you get really, really good at that before trying it on a winding country lane.

Frankly - it's a competition technique.

Erm.exactly… right foot Go pedal, right foot Brake pedal.

Leave your left foot on the rest provided.

I can’t visualise any other way of driving an automatic vehicle.

Why do people confuse the simplest of tasks?

It’s very easy to do when changing between manual and auto cars, it’s even easier to do when you’re swapping cars twenty-thirty times a day. It’s not just forgetting you’re driving an auto because the car you were in five minutes before was a manual, it’s forgetting you’re driving a manual after driving an auto five minutes before, pulling up at the site entrance or a set of lights and stalling the car because you just put your foot on the brake. I did the left foot brake in an auto thing at a dealership once, in front of several staff, who all laughed - mainly because all of them had done the exact same thing one time or another.

It’s entirely different when you learn to drive on an auto, you have nothing to un-learn, but going from spending years driving manual ‘boxes, which most do in the U.K., straight onto an auto, like I did when I started driving for BCA Logistics, when you have to pitch up at a dealership, a private address or business address, do an appraisal of a car, or van, that you’ve never even sat in before, sit in it and drive it maybe a couple of hundred miles, drop it off then drive another totally different vehicle, perhaps three times a day, it’s easy to forget what you’re driving.

I drove everything from a Smart to a Maserati Ghibli, an ambulance to an Audi Q7 over roughly two years, now almost as wide a range of cars, but very much shorter distances, you really have to pay attention when swapping between so many different cars and vans during a working day; going from a Toyota Aygo to a LWB Merc Sprinter can take a bit of adjustment at times... 😬

Yeah well I went down there the first day it opened right, and I did a couple of laps, I pulled over, the bloke that runs the thing comes over and said - Oi no professionals. I took my helmet off, I said I'm not a professional. He said - you're not a profesional? I said - No, he said - well you should be, if I was you I'd take up Formula One, and if you drive like that you'd probably be the best in the country! I said - I'm not interested I'm making shit loads out of computers.

Love that video. Especially the kid riding it!

On a public road:

Blipshifts = ok

Heel/toe = okaaaay ... watch you don't catch up the next car

Left foot braking = you'd better know what you're doing !

Remember that most competition cars (especially in the olden days) didn't have servo assisted brakes so left foot braking is a LOT easier.. neither of my track cars have a servo and I'm still shit at it 🙂

Not being an arse, but why would this be a thing?

Basically.......