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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.
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.
Since the technique is used at race speeds, it's not normal for a vehicle to start a slide while driving at road speeds. This technique is commonly used in ice-racing in North America and Europe (e.g. the Andros Trophy). On loose surfaces, contemporary rally drivers tend to rely more on left-foot braking for directional control in cornering FWD ...
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. This provides for maximum braking when going from a top gear to a much lower gear, and optimal engine rpm for exiting the corner. [citation needed]
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 ...
Heel-and-toe shifting is where the driver uses one foot to modulate the brake and accelerator pedal simultaneously to allow for rev matching under braking. Rowing, block shifting or skip shifting [27] is the technique of downshifting more than one gear in order to reduce wear and tear on the gearbox. Rev-matching may need to be used to create a ...
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).