Left foot braking anyone?

[Jim T.]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

Left foot braking has saved me from death or serious injury on at least half a dozen occasions, including a potential t bone where the other person ran a red light at 45 MPH.

regards
gary

Actually I would atribute that to being alert, not being a LFBA.
I've avoided many accidents in 28 years of driving, and always with my right foot. This proves nothing.

Jim T.

[Jay2TheRescue]

The only time I have ever used anything but the ball of my right foot to brake was when I used to drive a stick shift. (Advantage: big feet). I would operate the clutch with my left foot, and have my right heel on the brake, and my toe on the accelerator. As I brought the clutch up I would angle my right foot, effectively releasing the brake as I gave it some gas. I never rolled backwards. Even then I was using my right foot on the brake.

[R.I.D.E.]

42 years driving here.

Jim T if you had been in the car you would have no doubt.

I have none and I was there.

regards
gary

[Jim T.]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

42 years driving here.

Jim T if you had been in the car you would have no doubt.

I have none and I was there.

regards
gary

It still proves NOTHING. Left foot braking saves no time that is measurable. You think it's better because you think it saved your ***. It did nothing that driving normally and being vigilant would not have. You're perception is you're reality, and yours is, well just wrong.

Oh, btw, sometimes that right foot got me out of trouble with the throttle, not the brake, try THAT while your left foot has the brake mashed to the floor.

Jim T.

[Lug_Nut]

I drive with just one hand on the steering wheel now. I don't want to risk the chance of going straight into a tree as one hand moves clockwise and the other counterclockwise!
Makes as much sense as claiming I operate both feet simultaneously. I'm not a Kangaroo. I can alternate.
Sometimes I also alternate between being civil and matching idiocy.
Guess which I chose this time?

What is your maximum deceleration rate?
What is you maximum acceleration rate?
I dare say that if acceleration is the safer means of avoiding a collision (with the sole exception of from behind) then your brakes are defective.

[Jim T.]

Originally Posted by Lug_Nut

I drive with just one hand on the steering wheel now. I don't want to risk the chance of going straight into a tree as one hand moves clockwise and the other counterclockwise!
Makes as much sense as claiming I operate both feet simultaneously. I'm not a Kangaroo. I can alternate.
Sometimes I also alternate between being civil and matching idiocy.
Guess which I chose this time?

What is your maximum deceleration rate?
What is you maximum acceleration rate?
I dare say that if acceleration is the safer means of avoiding a collision (with the sole exception of from behind) then your brakes are defective.

So, taking common sense and twisting it all out of context makes it alright?

My Mazdaspeed3's gas and brake are only 2 inches apart. If you put both feet on the pedals your stepping on your own feet, unless your's are childrens size 5's?
You can try to justify bad habits by whatever rational you wish.
They're still bad habits.
And there is NO drivers manual or drivers education book that advocates it.

Jim T.

And I would explain the situation that accelerating saved my bacon, but you probably wouldn't get it.

[Kohote]

Originally Posted by Jim T.

So, taking common sense and twisting it all out of context makes it alright?

My Mazdaspeed3's gas and brake are only 2 inches apart. If you put both feet on the pedals your stepping on your own feet, unless your's are childrens size 5's?
You can try to justify bad habits by whatever rational you wish.
They're still bad habits.
And there is NO drivers manual or drivers education book that advocates it.

Jim T.

And I would explain the situation that accelerating saved my bacon, but you probably wouldn't get it.

It is not a bad habit.

The technique itself is great and has been proven many times to be superior. The problem is that not everyone has learned how to execute the technique properly. You can't use a few bad drivers as an example and declare that because of this no one can properly do it.

It is like blaming a plane for a crash when the cause was proven to be operator error.

Besides that there seems to be a lot of arrogance on the part of those who choose not to educate themselves and question their preconceived notions.

[Jim T.]

Originally Posted by Kohote

It is not a bad habit.

The technique itself is great and has been proven many times to be superior.

Where is the proof of this???

Proven to be superior to what, braking with your right hand and a wooden spoon?

And show me where it?s a written or approved technique in any drivers manual and I'll believe your BS.

Otherwise keep your stupid comments about "arrogonce and education" to yourself.

Jim T.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I can say that I work on live 120v and 240v circuits (which I do on occasion) and that its far superior because its easier to troubleshoot a live circuit. Its also better because I don't have to constantly run up & down stairs to turn breakers on & off, so I get done much quicker. My logic that its better is based on the fact that it hasn't killed or seriously injuerd me... yet.

No professional drivers are taught LFB, save for maybe NASCAR. Even then, its on a track, with other professional drivers, and all the vehicles on that track are in top mechanical condition and built so that in all likelihood a driver will emerge from an accident with little or no injury. If you worked as a professional driver for just about any large company such as a trucking firm, bus company, limo company, FedEX, UPS, ETC, and they found out you were LFB you'd probably be pulled off the road and sent to drivers training again. If you got caught again you'd probably be fired. If you were involved in an accident and it was determined that you were LFB, it would not look good on you in court, and your employer knows this. They don't want you jacking up their insurance rates. Employers have enough expenses to worry about.

On the public highways you have drivers of various ability levels, vehicles built to different quality and safety standards, varying states of disrepair. Throw in someone doing strange stuff that isn't taught in any drivers ed class and its a recipe for disaster. Just because you haven't been in an accident because of this doesn't mean its safe.

[R.I.D.E.]

I don't advocate LFB, I use it for an advantage to offset age and slower reaction times, and to protect myself from others who drive like idiots.

Jim T, I only have to prove anything to me, what you think about me or my methods means diddly.

Drive any way you like and when you make a stupid mistake and I avoid the wreck you would cause, then you can THANK me for saving your arse.

Kohote is not the only one who thinks your responses are arrogant.

The original post was asking if anyone used left foot braking. I do. No other member of my extended family does, but every member would rather ride with me driving than drive themselves.

I had a cop tell me it would get me a ticket to pull out into an intersection to keep some idiot from hitting me in the rear end. I told him I would let the judge decide whether my actions were legal or not. If my life is threatened by anothers stupidity or belligerance. I am damn sure not waiting for the damage to be done, and I am a quadriplegic.

Drive any way you want, I could care less, until the instant when you affect my safety, then you have crossed the boundary of civilized conduct, and the response is my perogative. Rest assured I will never threaten you in any way on any highway on the planet, and I expect the same in return.

In almost 1 million miles no person has ever been injured riding in a car with me. Can you make the same statement? If so the WE need to worry about the other idiots.

regards
gary