Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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.
It is not recommended to brake with the left foot because it is less confusing when switching between automatic and manual transmission cars. Resting one's foot on the brake pedal may also accidentally light up the brake lights when the vehicle is not decelerating. The use of the dead pedal is particularly prevalent in right-hand drive markets ...
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.
Note the so-called mushroom brake pedal. (The pedal on the left is the parking brake). In modern cars the four-wheel braking system is controlled by a pedal to the left of the accelerator pedal. There is usually also a parking brake which operates the rear brakes only (or less commonly, the front brakes only, as in the Saab 99 and in the ...
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 ...
The weight transfer under acceleration has the opposite effect and either may dominate, depending on the conditions. 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.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
In the lab tests, throttles were positioned to wide open prior to brake application in an attempt to replicate the circumstances of the incidents under study. However, the newest vehicle involved in the study was a 1986 model and no test vehicles were equipped with the electronic control ( drive by wire ) systems common in 2010.