I use both feet when driving my automatic SUV. I find I have better control and my right foot doesn't get as tired. Some times I put my rear drive automatic in 3rd and brake and gas with both feet on country roads to control it better.

Years ago when I had a SAAB 99 with a manual transmission I learned to brake and gas at the same time through the corners on slippery surfaces like snow and sand. I read how the rally drivers did this on front drive cars. Light braking brings the front end down to increase traction, and you hold the brakes on up to the apex, but you have to gas it more to compensate, and of course brake pads wear faster. This is different than rally driving a rear drive where they use both feet but alternate brake and gas to bring the back end around.

Anyway I recommend that you teach your son all of these techniques. I remember when I was 16 and went on my driving test and was braking and down shifting up to the apex and powering out and the instructor said I was the only student he had who did that. Most people were coasting through corners with the clutch in or lugging the gears. My father was a sports car driver so I learned technique from him before I had a license.

 

I drive a CTV MC, and I only use my right foot. The left foot is for tapping to the music.

 

MIB is a 5 speed manual, but our MINIvan is automatic. I was taught right foot driving on an automatic. My Mother uses both feet on an automatic, I had to learn to drive with both feet on an automatic when I broke my RIGHT foot and had to wear a cast. I could not pivot my ankle so throttle application was via my whole right leg. Total lack of sensitivity so I had to learn to brake with my left foot.

 

Teach him Heel-toe, it's very easy to do in the MINI compared other MT I've driven, I was taught that two foot driving was a big no no, and unless you are racing an AT I don't see the point. I learned to drive on an AT, but from my first car on have only had manuals, and plan to keep it that way, much more fun. And I was the one of my freinds that could drive a manual for a long time, despite braging rights I had the oppurtunity to drive cars and work jobs that my friends couldn't. Hope he enjoys motoring as much of the rest of us.

 

Left foot braking is an old rally technique that's still used a lot in racing & rallying. I don't use it much on the street, but every so often it's quicker round the bends.

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

 

I guess do whatever works for you, but my complaint is for those who drive with two feet and their foot resting ever-so-slightly on the brake, just enough for their brake lights to be on. It's just as dangerous as not having brake lights at all. Sorry but I think tickets should be given out to those who do that (from a safety standpoint).

 

If you ever have right-knee problems, left-foot braking becomes mandatory, and it works fine. My only problem with it is that I occasionally forget that it's not a clutch, and wind up stopping VERY rapidly...

 

I'm also a left foot brake driver when I'm driving an automatic.

I was taught this technique by my father. We lived on a narrow urban street with lots of kids playing in it. I would always come up the street slowly with my left foot on the brake just in case some kid runs out between two parked cars.

I learned how to drive on a manual VW Beetle, and then driving an automatic. If I were staching someone how to drive a car I would teach then how to drive on an automatic first. Once they know how to drive, then move to a manual gearbox automobile.

Steven

 

I got my license when I was 15 and had never driven anything but a manual transmission until I was around age 20. I had to drive my father somewhere in his automatic car and nearly put the poor guy thru the windshield when I left foot braked at the first stop sign at the end of our road. Needless to say, after that I always use my right foot to brake if I drive an automatic.

 

Use both feet on automatic to do burnouts!!!!!!

 

You like buying tires?

 

No, I'm just saying.

You only use both feet to do burnouts.

 

After 30 odd years of driving manuals, my left foot is WAAAY too INsensitive. When I finally got my MCS Auto, I tried it. Learn heel and toe if you want to mix up the footwork. But left foot braking should be left to the professionals.

 

nice pun

 

I might be wrong, but I would thing that there are a few other issues to driving with two feet:

1) more brake wear (since you may have slight pressure on the brake while driving, etc.

2) inaccurate brake lights - you could be "resting" your foot on the brake pedal while driving, lighting up your brake lights and confusing other drivers

3) arent' there also transmission issues (what does an automatic tranny do when you hit the brake? anything? I'm not sure on this point, though...)

 

I guess I'll throw my $.02 in here. I've owned both automatics and sticks over the years. My Uncle actually gave me my first driving lessons in a 5spd
Honda, but he also showed me the left foot braking technique in my Aunt's Buick. He used to drive a taxi in NYC when he was young and said most cabbies at least at that time did it. My first car was a stick, but I picked up an automatic for my commute into NYC during college. Driving in heavy stop and go traffic, I began to appreciate the left foot braking technique. I later switched back to driving stick when I purchased my 5series, but found that when I had to drive an automatic car, I'd always default to using the left foot braking.

Nowadays, I drive my MINI or BMWs to work (all stick) and then jump into my company work truck (automatic) and always use the left foot for braking. I don't find it at all confusing. I know that the potential for a mistake is there if someone has poor coordination, but otherwise I don't see what all the fuss is about.

As far as left foot braking in general is concerned, why is it so bad? Most people these days never drive stick (nor do they ever intend to). If you have two pedals and each one has only one foot responsible for controlling it, I would think that would be much safer. Remember all the unintended acceleration cases? How many of those are caused by people mashing their right foot down on the gas pedal when they swore they were using the brake - that wouldn't happen if the left foot was dedicated to braking.

Also, some have raised the concern that people that left foot brake always seem to be riding the brake. That may be true for some, but that also happens to the clutch for many people too. The only time I put my foot over the brake is when I feel there is an imminent need to brake and it helps to speed up my reaction time.

 

Using only one foot for either throttle or brake means you can't accidentally or purposely apply both simultaneously, which is bad for the power train. Heel and toe combines brake and throttle (blips) but only while the clutch is disengaged, so no forces are transferred to the transmission, etc.

 

You get used to what you get used to. I picked up two foot driving in the 70's when I drove cab. You needed to be ready to explode through holes in traffic and two foot driving gave you much faster reaction times, (for quick stops too!) And no, you didn't ride the brake and no, you didn't get confused. That was for the sit down to chew gum crowd.

 

My MINI's actually my first manual, and up until I had the option of the clutch, I've driven right-foot only. The main thing is that my mom drives with both feet and there are a number of times I've seen her nearly get into trouble because she panicked and hit both at the same time.

The only time I've ever used my left foot on an automatic was when I tried to shift. My passengers weren't terribly pleased to accelerate fast, then brake fast. The Saab definitely has nice brakes, though!

 

My mom typically drives an auto, I let her drive the manual then she switched back went for the clutch and found the E-brake, ever since if on rare occasion I'm forced to drive and auto left foot is firmly planted underneath the pedal, so I couldn't hit it by accident, now I just need to stop he urge to shift, I have a nasty habit of pushing the lever into nuetral (looking for third) if the car doesn't have a lock.

 

Yeh, I've stomped on that dead pedal a couple of times myself.

 

Not me

 

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but if you do use both feet, you fun the risk of touching the brake pedal enough to light up the brake lights. So when you do brake, those behind can not tell.

The other issue, is brake wear from touching the pedal enough to engage the brakes a bit.