I've been thinking, how many people there are out there who drive their automatic cars like go carts; one foot on each pedal, and how many that drive with just one foot. I drive with both feet, a bit more with the right, but most of the time I break with the left, then move my left foot over to make room for the right foot when the car has stopped. So let's see if we can have a poll on this.
One foot only. Two feet is a good way to accidentally get very poor gas mileage and wear your brakes out quicker, IMO. -Bob Cunningham
I agree with Bob, plus I have a few opinions on this Two foot driving is racing technique. The brakes aren't for slowing down race cars, it's for weight transfer, to make the front tires turn in more effectively and 'bite'. Our cars are not race cars, and the rear end gets plenty light enough without help using just the gas. Racing cars are very different from even most Sports cars and are designed much differently from a passenger car Two foot driving in a passenger car is silly and sloppy driving habits as far as I'm concerned. There should be no reason to need pressure on the brake while on the gas, and no reason to use the gas and brake together- feathering the throttle in a passenger car has no benefit other than extra work for the driver. "Emergencies" is BS- you don't plan emergencies, and unless you're riding the brake with your left foot to begin with, it's no faster than using your right foot. In fact, I'd argue that it's dangerous because you don't know how the car's going to handle with power on braking, and also, overheating the brakes causes fade. In a panic, it would be easy to stomp the gas and brake together, with predictable results. tweo foot driving in a passenger car with an auto trans is sloppy because you're teaching yourself to get on the brakes as you release the gas. Not a needed technique in a passenger car. In a race car as you set up for a false apex, yes. Driving to the cruise night or grocery store, no The left foot is for the clutch. Heel and toe isn't even a technique needed in our cars, and please don't get me going on double clutching. Even the UPS package cars I used to drive as a job (Trucks to you guys, the "Brownies") don't require double clutching. Semis, yes, passenger cars, no. Want to slow yourself down? Clutch in, neutral, clutch out, clutch in, next gear, clutch out is a good start. I can imagine these Fast and Furious wannabees merrily blipping the throttle to the rev limiter with a grin as they double clutch and wonder, 'gee how many tenths did I just shave off my best ET of 19 seconds?'
You can always tell when you are behind a "two-footer". Their brake lights flicker every time they drive over a bump! Todd
Looks like you are on your own Kimson. The only time I'll double foot is when I'm getting ready to do a burnout or when a vehicle won't idle in gear. It's dangerous, sloppy and just an all around bad technique.
I drive a stick 99.99% of the time since my Skylark is out of commission, so when I drive an automatic, the only time my left foot hits the brake is when I get in and stomp down with my left foot out of habit.
I'm not saying my feet are both on a pedal at the same time. The right foot for the gas, and when it is time to brake I lift the left foot on the brake after the right foot is off the gas. I had to stop hard once when I was already braking and I ended up with both feet on the brake pedal without thinking about it. If I'm at a red light and I'm turning, I'll have both feet each on a pedal, so I'm ready to go. Nothing I really think about, I don't think it makes that much difference. This theory I don't understand "Clutch in, neutral, clutch out, clutch in, next gear, clutch out is a good start." Why would you stop in neutral and release the clutch, just to get it back in to go into the next gear?
I haven't used my left foot on the brake since the first time I took my driver's license road test in 1981. The DMV examiner failed me for it. I didn't even know you weren't supposed to use both feet. I came back a few weeks later and passed, and I can't remember ever doing it again.
The only time I use two feet is during a panic stop with my manual drumed Skylark. Remember you only get one.
If you've ever had to make a panic stop and hit the brake with your left foot so hard you slid forward off the seat and ended up flooring the gas pedal too you'd learn to drive an Auto with one foot. That said my Buick is a 4 spd, with manual brakes like Joe...I need at least 2 feet to drive it :laugh:
when I drove pavement circle track stock car it was two feet. when I drove midgets on dirt it was one foot and no brakes under the green. when driving my Buick I use one foot unless I want a good holeshot then I hold the brake with my left foot and bring the RPMs up to around 1500. I have a stock converter. I do the same thing in my turbo Diesel work truck to build the boost quicly when I really need a fast take off. On any manual trans vehicle I ever drove I did not downshift for stops unless it was a panic situation. Just pop it into neutral and use the brakes. I also never use the clutch to get into neutral. Just put pressure on the shifter and bump the gas and it comes right out of gear. I never wore out a clutch or release bearing in anything driving that way. But like pretty much anything else.... to each his own! :beer
When I drive on the street I use my right foot for the gas pedal and brake pedal. When I drag race,I use both my left foot(for the brake pedal)and my right foot(for the gas pedal)and power brake the car to help my launch technique.
dont drive this way, its a bad habbit believe me, i crashed my moms car while learning to drive ou: , i had one foot on each peddle, and pulled into a parking lot not paying as close of attention to what was going on that i should of been and accedently steped on the gas instead of the brake and hit a parked rental car ou: , seriously lucky no one was hurt, well our Jeep grand cheroke didnt get that messed up, but the rental car was considered totaled. DONT DRIVE THIS WAY!!!! even though i was inexperenced at the wheel, this could pottentientaly happen to anyone, (also similar thing happend to friends dad, but in a parking garage, and he hit the cement wall) well anyways i feel im a far more experenced driver now and i never use two feet to drive now, except to do burnouts in the old buick
Right foot only. I never use left foot for braking. Occasionally, a brain fart will cause me to stomp on the brake with the left foot.......my mind goes into "big rig" mode, where I step on clutch when stopping. That causes some hilarity, and nose meets windshield rather suddenly. :shock: What Chris is describing with his clutch technique, is exactly how big rig drivers double clutch. It's really two shifting events, shift from one gear into neutral, then shift from neutral into the next gear. :TU:
I drive with both feet.Right for gas,and left for brakes.Somehow,I can get into a stick shift car and drive it with no problems ou: .I drive everything I own with both feet
I only use one foot, unless I'm goofing off - which is why learning manual was so hard for me. Subconsciously I figured my left foot was on the brake (as in screwing around) and pushed it harder trying to slow.
Nothing personal at anyone here, BUT; I get so SICK of hearing that! :rant: :af: :moonu: Amateurs! I have driven like Sammy Hagar, since I first learned how to drive (23 Years :eek2: ); "One Foot on the Brake, and One on the Gas!" I learned the Correct way, in Driver's Education, but I retaught myself, after I got my license, and learned the ways of Street Racing, back in the day! When my left foot is "touching the Brake pedal", I would bet ANYONE, ANYTIME, that my Brakes are not engaged, at all, to cause premature wear of the brake pads! As a matter of fact, I can even apply pressure to my brake pedal, to engage the Brake LIGHTS, but not to actually apply the Brakes! :Smarty: How do you think I Force tailgaters to Back Off? :af: :blast: I maintain my Cruising speed with the steady gas pedal (right foot), and I apply the (left foot) brake pedal ONLY to turn the Brake Light on, without losing ANY acceleration! They're just watching for my Brake LIGHTS, not seeing that I'm actually STILL DOING THE SAME SPEED! ou: It would be the exact same thing as if you're driving at 55mph with your Cruise Control on (neither foot on neither pedal, but maintaining a constant, steady speed!), and then you just reach over and turn on your Headlight switch, so the guy following you, all of a sudden, sees your Running Lights come ON, but thinks that you are BRAKING! (That trick works, sometimes, too! :Brow: ) You continue to pull away, as you force THEM to actually brake, but you're still maintaining your speed! With a Carbureted vehicle (especially Buicks, as Cold Blooded as they are!), sometimes it is NECESSARY to use both feet, especially when at a Stop sign, trying to maintain an Idle, if the carb is misadjusted, or depending on temperature, or fuel octane, etc.! :Smarty: I have Faster Acceleration (reaction time) and Faster Braking (response time), with BOTH feet (Left Brake/Right Gas), compared to Right foot, only!:3gears::shock: :Smarty: As was mentioned, in effect, to each his own; some people just DO, and some people just CAN'T, no matter how hard they TRY! :Smarty: o No: "Write me up for 125! Post my face Wanted Dead or Alive! Take my license and all that jive, but I Can't Drive 55!" :3gears: :bglasses:
I choose the bit of both option, but it really matters what I am driving. I am all right foot with a late model car. But, the older cars sometimes need a little gas applied with the brake slightly touched. Bad carb., cranky choke or low idle come to mind. Then there's the time you plan a perfect burnout and use the old left foot. Of course, you can just stomp the gas too.
I started driving back in 1982. I always drove an older car. The cars back than were better to drive with 2 Feet than the cars of today. They stalled easier. Plus, with the manual drum brakes it is a work out. Some times you would have to push so hard to stop. It is like a full time job. I still drive the cars of today with 2 feet. There are so many cars on the road in New Jersey. That you never know if you will need to hit the brakes and gas at the same time to avoid an accident :Smarty: . When there is no traffic on the highways I like to drive with no feet (cruise control) Bob
I used to do the 2 foot thing when I had my first truck but that was because it couldn't idle and if you got off the gas it would die. Fixed that problem and have been one foot forward since.
