Braking With an Automatic transmission

[MountainDon]

Just something that came up in conversation

[MWAndrus]

I always brake with the right foot. The left is only ever used for a vehicle with a clutch. I don't want to mess up my muscle memory.

I imagine that many of the people that drive around riding the brakes are two footed drivers with one resting on the brake pedal.

[Tinga]

I'm a two footed driver. Husband always says " That's not the way you drive an automatic" But works for me. One foot for gas, one for brakes.

[MountainDon]

I always thought I was odd man out        I'm a left footer for brake on an automatic ever since my first automatic in a 4x4 Scout. Off road, especially when rock crawling makes for a smoother experience.  To me it seems natural and I somehow don't seem to have any issues driving a manual when that comes up.  Not too much any more.

[muldoon]

In an automatic drive, I use one foot for both. 

Using two foot is commonly called "riding the brakes".  It means your brake lights come on, even if your speeding up.  It's a sign of someone using two feet.  My grandmother drives like that.  She has been in 9 or 10 rear-end accidents in her life because no one can discern what her intentions are. 

No thanks. 

When I teach my kids to drive an automatic, they will only use one foot.
/sohelpmegod

[MountainDon]

Using two foot is commonly called "riding the brakes".  It means your brake lights come on, even if your speeding up.  It's a sign of someone using two feet.

That's a broad and inaccurate generalization, IMO.  Some drivers may do that, but then some drivers also text while driving. I have an angled block of wood, a "dead pedal" mounted more or less where the clutch pedal would be if the was one; simple matter to slide or pivot the left foot over.  My Honda has one from the factory; perfectly placed.

[Don_P]

We called that driving "goofy foot", which is the way I drive. It does give better control in tight manuevering and your foot is closer to the brake in a pinch.  The reason I was taught not to do it was that in a pinch you can press down to stop with both feet, one on the brake the other on the gas.

[Tinga]

Like MountainDon said, it's a helluva lot easier on a climb to use 2 feet instead of 1. That minute second could cause you some serious ground. THIS is why I am looking into a hand throttle. For those really nasty climbs or the times where someone decided that you really don't need some rolling room and they get right up on yer tailgate.

[UK4X4]

two foot driving of an automatic ..............

thats where you see the person drive into buildings-other cars - my wife almost off a cliff in Moab and most recently a friend rolled his land cruiser on a trail run

at work where I fired a girl for crashing into the only tree in an empty parking lot-

two feet panic and often the wrong peddle gets smashed to the floor, just before the break can hold it and off you go

I'd say it is the major cause of those stupid accidents you see in parking lots and driveways, commonly seen in the US rather than europe where 90% of cars are stick

Oh yep the brake lights being on all the time - another Pet pieve.

In the UK and my company you won't pass the driving test if using 2 feet in an automatic ...

[sparks]

Right footer. Many years ago, I had occasion to hop from a clutch to an auto. While driving the auto, it was necessary to make a rather abrupt stop......my left foot went for the clutch....and hit the brake instead rather hard.....never did that again.     

[rick91351]

Mostly right, however pretty much automatic, my left foot takes over in those spots. 

However when a got my right ankle shattered a few years ago I got really good left foot on everything with my right leg resting over there on the other side.  Thank God two out of the three vehicles were automatics. 

   

[Rob_O]

Right footer. Many years ago, I had occasion to hop from a clutch to an auto. While driving the auto, it was necessary to make a rather abrupt stop......my left foot went for the clutch....and hit the brake instead rather hard.....never did that again.     

Been there, done that!

I always thought I was odd man out        I'm a left footer for brake on an automatic ever since my first automatic in a 4x4 Scout. Off road, especially when rock crawling makes for a smoother experience.  To me it seems natural and I somehow don't seem to have any issues driving a manual when that comes up.  Not too much any more.

Daily-driving I'm a rightie but off-road I always brake with the left, even in M/T vehicles. I broke a front diff working the clutch when my foot should have been working the brake

[considerations]

Whoops I do brake with my right foot, unless I'm in a touchy spot, like stuck in a slick place with a trailer on (it happens). I also brake with my left foot to engage the emergency brake (different pedal) in an emergency (also has happened). 

[Redoverfarm]

When I drive the standard it is right foot brake and in the automatics it is left foot brakes.  But for some 25 years it was always left foot brakes in the cruisers because of the need to be on and off both the accelator and brakes at higher speeds.     I guess there may not be a right/wrong but what ever is comfortable. I had heard at one time in some driver training that right foot is the correct one. 

[MountainDon]

After a few days of self observing my foot habits when driving I realize I did not totally state how my feet work with an A/T.

By left foot invariably hits the brake as I let up on the gas' it pivots or slides from the dead pedal to the brake. But then if I'm going to be coming to a full stop my right pivots from the gas to the brake as well. Then when I take off the right pivots/slides over to the gas and the left releases the brake and returns to the dead pedal. Jeep and Honda both.  But on the winding twisting highway and country roads to the cabin it's left = brake and right = gas, until I come to a stop sogn where the right slips over to the brake too.