I got this idea from another question. I drive using only one foot, and most people I know do. But my father has always driven (automatic) cars with both feet, one for the break, one for the gas.
People say you are "supposed to" drive with only one foot though. And that is the way you learn and have to drive to pass your test. Why is this?
2006-07-12 03:04:39 · 17 answers · asked by innocence faded 6 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
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". If you put the brakes on before flooring the engine (while stopped) the brakes will easily hold it. But if you are trying to brake while moving and are flooring it too you will most likely lose the vaccum needed for the power brake booster and depending on whether you let the pedal up at all you can wind up with no power assist which mkes it very hard to stop the car.
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.
And in addition, yes it wears the brakes out faster if you apply them at the same time as the gas. That makes no sense. Would you continue to pedal a bicycle while squeezing the brake? no. Why? Because you should either be going or stopping, you can't do both. If you don't know what you are doing, then how are other drivers going to know? Very dangerous.
Last note- if you are in the habit of driving with 2 feet then it will be very very very hard to learn to drive a car with a manual transmission.
2006-07-12 03:17:49 · answer #1 · answered by anniewalker 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because if you learn to drive an automatic with two feet, and then you go and drive a manual, you will be used to using your left foot for the break. Yet when you drive a manual, you sometimes need to break while you are using the clutch (which you use the left foot on), so you will have to use the right foot on the break. If you are used to using your right for gas, you might hit the gas instead of the break, and at the very least you can damage your engine by giving alot of gas while holding in the clutch, but you could accidentally accelerate quickly and hit someone or something.
2006-07-12 03:13:06 · answer #2 · answered by Icy U 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People who drive with both feet are just asking to have a wreck because, in a real emergency, they might get confused.
That being said, it was encouraged by less-than-knowledgable driving instructors back in the 1970's until the NTSB found out how many accidents were caused by this insane proacice and it got stopped.
As a practical matter, many RACING CAR drivers use both feet to drive because they can drift corners by using the left foot to break and the right foot to press the accelerator AT THE SAME TIME... but this is VERY specialized.
2006-07-12 03:49:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Automatic: Left foot on foot rest ALWAYS, & right foot controls the pedals. Manual: Left foot on Clutch pedal or foot rest & right foot on brake and gas pedals. A lot of new drivers in automatics will use both feet but it's a really bad habit that should be broken very quickly. Plus it's unsafe especially should an emergency happen and the person slams on both pedals.
2016-03-27 02:25:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is an interesting question that i have been wanting to ask. i think that like the above posters said that it is easier to respond if you're only using one foot. both feet would probably cause you to step on either one of them by accident or together in which would be bad for the car like some people have stated here. i also think it's harder to put my left feet on the brakes than not so using one foot to control everything is just a lot faster and easier
2006-07-12 03:13:36 · answer #5 · answered by dorkydork 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow there are a lot of WRONG answers here. The correct answer is that if you are involved in an accident and pushed forward by the impact and have your right foot on the gas it is likely to get pushed as well. This might not seem very important but a simple fender bender can be turned into a horrible accident if one of the vehicles takes off and hits more people.
2006-07-12 03:41:22 · answer #6 · answered by king_davis13 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is really for the sake of the car more than anything. If you drive with both feet you will have a tendency to leave your left foot resting on the break .. this will lead to the pedal being slightly depressed witch will cause undue wear to both your brakes and your engine.
2006-07-12 03:09:24 · answer #7 · answered by sam21462 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the reason is that if you drive with two feet, it would be somewhat easy to accidentally be hitting both pedals at once, and this wouldn't be the greatest thing for the engine. Wouldn't be the worst by far, but not the greatest.
I think also that it's easier to learn to be coordinated with one foot than it is with two. If we had a bunch of teenagers trying to drive with two feet, it would take them a little bit longer to learn, and they would therefore be a little bit more dangerous on the road.
2006-07-12 03:09:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One foot for both pedals, they don't work simutaneously.
You are more likely to mash the wrong one or both at a time when you really need to stop, or speed up.
It's dangerous to drive with both feet.
2006-07-12 03:11:03 · answer #9 · answered by niffer's mom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You drive with one foot, that way if you're ever in a five speed, you use the other foot for the clutch. It's to not get you confused.
2006-07-12 03:08:28 · answer #10 · answered by HoneyBee24-7-365 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋