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Left-foot braking is the technique of using the left foot to operate the brake pedal in an automobile, leaving the right foot dedicated to the throttle pedal. [1] It contrasts with the practice of using the left foot to operate the clutch pedal, leaving the right foot to share the duties of controlling both brake and gas pedals.
Left-foot braking is the favored technique for using opposite lock in a front drive vehicle. A related technique is the handbrake turn, in which the rear wheels are deliberately locked in order to break the friction between the tires and the road, allowing the car to be spun around a very tight bend or junction, etc.
left-foot braking as a an alternative to right-foot braking for simple deceleration; left-foot braking as a method of adjusting the vehicle's handling during cornering; There may well be a school of thought that says the first is a bad idea (though in principle there's no reason it should matter which foot is used).
Normally the throttle and brake are operated by the right foot, while the clutch is operated by the left foot. However, some drivers sometimes mistake the accelerator for the brake, leading to sudden unintended acceleration and causing 16,000 accidents per year in the US. [5] There are also drivers who intentionally practice left-foot braking.
Inducing oversteer by applying power in a front wheel drive car is possible via proper use of "left-foot braking”, and using low gears down steep hills may cause some oversteer. The effect of braking on handling is complicated by load transfer , which is proportional to the (negative) acceleration times the ratio of the center of gravity ...
This technique ensures that maximum power can be reached the instant the brake pedal is released and the accelerator fully depressed. Rowing is the technique of downshifting more than one gear along with the heel-and-toe technique to provide engine braking and smoother deceleration/braking while in the intermediate gears.
The dead pedal was developed to prevent the accidental actuation of the clutch or brake, also known as left-foot braking, by providing an alternative surface to rest the foot on. The dead pedal became more important with time as stronger and faster cars were developed because the left foot must push against the floor to brace the driver's body.
However, brakes are rarely applied at full throttle; the driver takes the right foot off the gas pedal and moves it to the brake pedal - unless left-foot braking is used. Because of low vacuum at high RPM, reports of unintended acceleration are often accompanied by complaints of failed or weakened brakes, as the high-revving engine, having an ...