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Re: Two-Foot Driving
Bill Horwath <horwthwp> wrote:
>If you drive an automatic, your left foot should have nothing to do. It should
>just sit there, relaxing. I would consider it dangerous to drive an automatic
>with both feet, left on the brake, right on the gas. During a panic stop,
>two-foot drivers tend to mash the brake and gas pedals. This can lead to a
>"runaway" car. The engine will overcome the brakes, and continue to push the
>car forward, especially during the early stages of the "panic stop".
>I make a point to tell people that their brake lights are on, when I suspect
>that they are two-footers. These people need to know that they are a hazard on
>the roads. Never stay directly in front or behind these drivers.
>--
> bill
>(horwthwp@cig.mot.com)
This is no more likely then any number of other potential things that could go
wrong in a panic stop. The reduced reaction time gained by using both feet
(left to brake) more then offsets the chance of mashing both the gas and
brake. I've been left foot braking since I learned to drive and have never
had a problem in panic stops and can be ready to stop without constantly
taking my foot off the gas. If it were really true that people had any
trouble keeping their feet straight in a panic or otherwise then no one could
learn to drive a car, a motorcycle, and fly an airplane without being in great
danger. Each of those things requires you to learn to use you feet for
different things in different ways as well as using your hands differently
too. Someone just learning might occassinally get confused but that is hardly
reason to suggest people learn a much less effective way to drive (single
footed with an automatic) rather then learning the better way to drive (both
footed).
References: