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Does anyone else use both feet to drive?

Sometimes when backing and getting close to a trailer to limit too much truck jump travel.  When it appears it will be a problem in fine control, if I dont have a foot on both brake and gas i use low range, particulary off road when hooking up a trailer.
 
I use both feet in my car... cause it's a 5 speed... LOL.... BUT sometimes I get in the truck and tend to look for the clutch to start it out of habit.. LOL
 
I started years ago in the winter, automatic trans, choke not working right. I needed to give the car gas to keep it running even when stopped, therefore needed both feet. I do not rest my left foot on the brake, I guess years of using it built up the leg so that I keep my foot about a quarter of an inch above the brake pedal. I still do it since I believe that I can hit the brakes much faster. If you use only your right foot you need to lift off the gas, move it to the left, then press down. Using my left foot for braking all I need to do is press down, eliminates the lift up off the gas, and over.

For manual transmission cars I use my right foot to brake.

Because I have driven both manual and automatics, in a pure panic situation I end up with my left foot on the brake, and my right foot on top of my left foot, left foot always gets there first.

I do not know why they teach people to use only the right foot. You always hear of people saying that the car accelerated by itself, but I expect that in 99% of the cases, the person hit the gas instead of the brake with their right foot. Why is it that the brake pedal is usually higher that the gas? It appears to me that in many cars if you step on the brake and your foot slips off the pedal you may slip right onto the gas and floor it.....
 
It's funny you brought this up just now!  I find that I am just automatically using the left foot to brake, not even realizing it.  But just last night, I'm on the freeway and it does one of those fast stops from 60mph to 0.  I had about 100 feet in front of me - when some car in the next lane decided he wanted that 100 feet to himself.  I was already on the brake with the left foot so I automatically put both feet on the pedal to stop hard.  (You know those panic stops!)

Well, my right foot just BARELY made the pedal.  Litterally, I probably had 1/4" of toe on the pedal.  And my foot twisted so that I was still on the gas too.  So here I am, slamming on the brake and hitting the gas too.  Truck went a little squirelly, didn't loose control or skid, but you know how it starts to wiggle under hard braking.

I agree - I don't know why they teach to use right foot only.  Those in-car cams on Nascar - they show the drivers using both feet.  And you know those guys know how to go fast and stop fast.
 
I'm always using both feet while in my Avy. I've learned to while offroading in my Dodge and started to use it on the road to. I absolutely don't ride my brakes; my left foot is always on the floor while driving unless I have to brake.

Strange thing is that when I step in a manual car, I never think about it and brake with my right foot like anyone else. Seems my brains can switch without any problems  >:D

I sometimes try to only use my right foot but it feels weird.
 
Same with me. I can drive auto or manual and never think about which foot is braking, it just happens. Auto use the left foot for the brake, manual use the right foot to brake.
 
while it is 100% the in correct way to drive, I can understand people doing it in these trucks, the seating position (at least for me) makes it difficult to move your right foot back and forth between the pedals without lifting and moving your whole leg.

in my wifes Camry, and my Mustang I can pivot my heel and move from pedal to pedal without a problem, and in my former 300c I could as well, but something about how the seat is in the Avalanche makes this rather difficult, and in 8 short months I have dug a hole in my floor mat from my heal as a result.


I had noticed the same thing back in 2000 Silverado. 


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on a side note however, when I broke my right hip, femur and pelvis in a motorcycle accident in 2003 I drove with my left foot for brake and gas for nearly 2 years until my right leg was fully functional again..

not THAT was an interesting way to drive..

 
I catch myself doing it sometimes. I used to never do it, but I think it came from my past job where I had to drive an overweight service truck with a duramax. Sometimes I would be in a position where I would have to take off quick so I would hold the brake with my left foot and use the right to spool the turbo. Then it got to where sometimes the way I was sitting it would be easier to use my left to brake in a sudden stop.
 
The NASCAR guys do it, but remember, their brakes only have to last 500 miles.  :p  Even those guys are on the brakes more than they realize.  If you've ever been able to listen to one during a test session and then see the data; it would amaze you.

Biggest problem, other than brake drag, w/2 foot driving, is that in a panic braking situation, many people will tend to stomp with both feet.  if you are naturally left foot braking, that could mean stomping the brake and gas at the same time.  these trucks are heavy enough to stop in the first place, trying to hold down the motor too just isn't fair.  I had this happen to me once... in my dirt mod on a restart when someone got looped up front.  tagged both pedals... and the guy in front of me.  :rolleyes:

Just my 2cents.  (y)

Josh
 
Funny you brought this topic back up.  I was just thinking about this the other day.  I've gotten to the point where I use both feet all the time, not even realizing it.  I find I use the right foot when I plan on a full stop and the left foot when I'm just trying to lower speed.  I've even got where I know to left off the gas with the right foot and put it flat on the floor.
 
Ha, yeah I should have looked at te last post date.  Guess I kinda brought this one back from the dead.  Sorry. :p
 
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