Left Foot Braker

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grb235, Jan 23, 8:47pm
I'm a left foot braker and have been for many years (learned from driving fork-hoists), much to my wife's consternation.

She claims it is dangerous and uses the statement from her Toyota manual that says, use the right foot to operate the foot paddles only, as the reason why I should not use the left foot to operate the brake.

I cant see any reason why it is dangerous and question why Toyota would publish the fact to use only the right foot for accelerator and brake.

Any other left foot brakers out there and do you think it is a dangerous practice!

I find it easy to discourage tailgaters as I simply dance on the brake pedal enough to activate the stop lights without applying the brakes and keeping the accelerator down to the maintain speed.Sure slows down and confuses the tailgaters.
skull, Jan 23, 8:51pm
I left foot brake a lot but not all of the time, I use it to slow the car and am completely unconcerned by tailgaters. If I'm in a hurry they're not there for long.
gmphil, Jan 23, 8:57pm
Me too halfthe time. lol think thats where i got from the hoist
saxman99, Jan 23, 9:10pm
I don't but I could, and have done in the past when a foot injury meant I couldn't press hard enough with my right.Quick enough to get used to. Bit tricky in a manual.

Plenty of professional and race drivers do it.
a18a, Jan 23, 9:44pm
I find I'm only left foot braking when I'm driving autos.
panelvanner, Jan 23, 10:33pm
When driving, largely as above, have done for years, why not have a spare foot ready to brake! The odd time I have had the need to brake suddenly I have used either foot, neither biased right or left. Easier to skid up a 2 peddle anyway!
Panelvanner
thewomble1, Jan 24, 12:00am
I use my left foot to put the park brake on.
richard112, Jan 24, 1:38am
have done, only by accident on the odd occasion I'm driving an auto & forget I don't need a clutch. Lucky has never been a tailgater there.
unbeatabull, Jan 24, 5:19am
I do all the time in Auto's. From racing experience. Racing Karts with only two pedals then cars I ended up being a weird one and heel toeing the brake + clutch rather then gas and brake.

As far as auto's go on a public road, it gives far more car control. Anyone who has raced seriously knows you need to be able to apply gas + brake at the same time to have full car control.
richard112, Jan 24, 5:29am
Maybe the reason Toyota advise against is that if your average auto driver finds himself in a manual for whatever reason, stamping on the clutch in a panic stop situation is not going to be helpful.
tantric5, Jan 24, 6:07am
Ive always been a left foot braker.driving manual or auto, lh or rh drive.like a poster said above, better control with use of brakes and power together
chevcamaro, Jan 24, 6:26am
lefties rule
smac, Jan 24, 6:45am
I do during motorkhana/autocross, but don't see the point on the road. I don't drive at the point where mid-corner car balancing is needed.sounds a little dim.
mark.52, Jan 24, 10:28am
This.

I've practiced using the left foot, on the odd occasion I'm in an auto, but I'm defs a right-foot braker.
andy61, Jan 24, 12:37pm
I`m a right foot braker because too many left foot brakers get lazy and drive with their feet on both pedals therefore brakelights are on all the time and you never know when they are actually stopping(when following them)
bitsy_boffin, Jan 24, 1:41pm
When driving an auto, sometimes left, sometimes right, I don't specifically decide, but I occasionally notice which one I'm using on the day.

Subconscious decision I guess.Interesting.I wonder what set of circumstances triggers my brain to switch.
cjdnzl, Jan 24, 2:02pm
Theno-left-foot braking comes from the USA.They considered that violent braking in an emergency could force your right foot down on the gas, and the power of a lot of Yank V8's would overcome the brakes and propel you into the crash.
Like my Primera could do that, ha.I left-foot brake always, much better control, specially when parking, and it's better to hover your foot over the brake pedal at intersections etc.There's at least one kid still alive due to my foot already being over the brake.
phillip.weston, Jan 24, 2:38pm
This! Not to mention many left-foot brakers would go through brake pads more frequently than right-foot brakers.
outbidyou2, Jan 24, 2:51pm
At least one kid alive. That's good
kingfisher21, Jan 24, 2:52pm
Left foot brakers should all be tortured and shot!
cjdnzl, Jan 24, 3:09pm
Right-foot-only brakers should be retrained!
lisapisa2, Jan 24, 4:42pm
I've always driven autos & have always been a left-foot braker. Years ago my brother told me off saying it was dangerous but I could never see why. Always have my left foot hovering over the brake!
thewomble1, Jan 24, 4:52pm
So how do you put the clutch in a manual if right foot is on the accelerator pedal and the left foot on the brake pedal and you come to a stop!
gunhand, Jan 24, 6:57pm
Im a lefty as well.Not sure where it came from. Mostly round town where a split second could make a difference. Open road speeds I use right foot unless in a line of traffic etc then get the left foot ready. Never worn out pads sooner than I should as im not actaully touching the pedal.
Also most cars when your driving the right footon the accelerator is much lower than the brake. If you topanic stop it means lifting your foot off and moving over and putting it on the brake. May not seem a big deal but when you take into account how long it all takes using your left will save a second maybe, which is alot at 100kph or even 50kph. Also some have moved there right foot to brake and caught it under the brake instead of lifting high enough.This is for an auto.
smac, Jan 24, 7:01pm
Sounds.awkward.to me. Are you saying you drive around resting your heal in front of the brake pedal, with your toes raised so not touching the pedal! My shin would be killing me.

BTW it's nowhere near a second to get your foot onto the brake.maybe 1/10th.less than the variation in different people's reaction times.