The Australian road rules used to teach new drivers to brake with their left foot and accelerate with their right foot. My grandmother who is almost 70 was taught to drive with LFB. She still drives that way nowadays.

I'm not sure what year this rule changed but it has definately changed. People are now taught to brake with their right foot.

Why?

Because it is more dangerous to get yourself used to braking with your left because when it comes time for an accident, what does your right foot do whilst your left foot is braking? It hits the accelerator.

I still watch my grandmother do it today. If someone pulls out infront of her and she has to brake suddenly she hits the brake with her left foot and she still has her foot on the accelerator. Needless to say, the rotors on her car are farked.

My parents also got to have an advanced driving course day (not enough tickets for me too ) with the likes of Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes, Peter Brock etc etc, a few of the Aussie SuperV8s racing ledgends. They also teach you to/ensure you brake with your left foot.

Doesn't matter how top notch you think you are behind the wheel, almost all people brace themselves with two hands on the steering wheel and plant both their feet in their respective places to brace for impact. So by teaching yourself to brake with your left foot you're only doing yourself potential harm, no matter how cool or lazy you think it is.

Please note, this mostly only applies to Automatics. Most people who are used to driving manuals will automatically put their left foot on the clutch and their right foot on the brake. That's not to say they won't attempt to LFB and disregard the clutch pedal completely.

Quote from Gentlefoot :

he he. I DO brake with my left foot in my real car. But only when I can enter a corner without a downchange. People call me clever dick but it aint that clever.

Same here. I generally only brush it though, hard-braking is always done with my right-foot because a gearchange is almost invariably required, and in the event of an emergency it's my right foot that hits the middle pedal.

Incidentally, I solely use my left-foot in LFS. Mainly because I don't have a third pedal, so my left foot is available all the time, but also because my MSFF pedals are obviously not designed for RFB. They're far too far apart, and the brake pedal is too low once pressed to comfortably get another part of my foot onto the throttle.

Quote from sinbad :

Same here. I generally only brush it though, hard-braking is always done with my right-foot because a gearchange is almost invariably required, and in the event of an emergency it's my right foot that hits the middle pedal.

Incidentally, I solely use my left-foot in LFS. Mainly because I don't have a third pedal, so my left foot is available all the time, but also because my MSFF pedals are obviously not designed for RFB. They're far too far apart, and the brake pedal is too low once pressed to comfortably get another part of my foot onto the throttle.

I'm the same in LFS. What is the point in right foot braking in the game? If my real life track car had a sequential gearbox I would be able to drive it like I drive in LFS (accept a lot slower probably).

Quote from ShannonN :

As well ppl back then suggested 'never brake in a corner no matter what' ( silly driving instructors) but I guess cars in the seventies were not strong on brakes or suspension like we have now

I still think that is good advise for about 90% of the drivers on the road. Most people are not skilled enough to balance braking and steering well enough to do both at the same time. Just take a look at what happens in many panic situations - people slam on the brakes and crank the wheel. The car neither stops nor turns and they're screwed.

For racing, if you can ride the line of traction, overlapping your braking and steering is faster. Not a good strategy for the Average Joe street driver though.

Quote from ShannonN :

What move on Ambrose? U mean the pass where ambrose refused to move 2 inches and let the pass go cleanly or was it just a case of "I'm the touring car champ" in a second rate FORD and I'll hold my line cause I'm d man sorta thing, sure it spoiled a good race for all but Murphs a race car driver, we wont talk about the many numbers Ambrose & Ingall did on Skaife now will we?

Oh you did NOT just go there. Oh no you di'int!!! Ford all the way, baby!

Quote :

When Fords have won more races than Holdens at Bathurst, come and see me, I'll buy you a pint

It seems to me that Ford has won the championship the last three years. So who cares about one race?

As long as we're totally OT: You wouldn't happen to know where a guy can find videos of the old seasons (60's through 90's)? I'd love to see the races before it was a two make series. The thought of Mustangs and Skylines on The Mountain makes me light headed.

Quote from Vain :

And @ blipping torque-converters: Poor torque converter, poor torque converter.

Why?

It takes place when the system is disengaged.

If anything, there is less stress on the entire driveline

You propably also let it stay in automatic (D) while standing at a traffic light, hm?

Vain

.... uh.. no.... :hide:

You still didn't answer my question

Quote from Vain :

You propably also let it stay in automatic (D) while standing at a traffic light, hm?

Vain

I do... whats wrong with that?

Probably nothing, since the stall speed is around 3x the RPM of idling :rolleyes:

Auto-trannys use torque conversters. Torque converters can never completely seperate the engine from the transmission. Thus you always put pressure on the transmission, regardless of the state of the vehicle.
While still standing with rotating engine or while downshifting the torque converter is the device that endures the strain of having different rotation-speeds on both of it's ends. Thus, to reduce the strain on the torque converter and parts of the transmission you can put the transmission into neutral so there is no strain on the torque converter and it can live longer. Similarly you shouldn't put 100 hp or whatever your engine produces while blipping on the torque converter when it's connected to the transmittion on the other side. Wether there is (noticable) strain on the torque converter while blipping depends on the order the clutches of the planetary gearbox are actuated.

Of course the torque converters are designed to endure the strain for a rather big timespan. But engines are also designed to run near their red line for rather big timespans and you don't do that either, or you don't keep the engine revved up in neutral or the like. You just don't do things like that to a car.

Vain

Well that may be true but everyone in the United States leaves it in D at red lights.

Technically you should put it in neutral or park at a standstill, and not rev it in either neutral or park. But it's highly likely that you'd not do any damage, or even meaningful wear for a long time. Just try to keep it to a minimum if you want longevity.

Quote from Vain :

In real life you only need left foot braking when you want to stay on the gas while braking....<snip>

Vain

Incorrect answer.

In real life, in an Automatic / DSG / SMG / Tiptronic / etc., you should learn to LFB.

The biggest reason;

In quite a few situations (panic, anger, distraction and so forth), people stomp at something with their right foot, because they are always trained to drive purely with their right foot. If they stomp and hit the gas...zooommmmmm, there you go.

This is how a lot of people end up turning store fronts into drive thrus and 1 door garages into 2 door drive through garages.

I H&T and LFB in my Audi, and I LFB exclusively in my Discovery 3, sue me.

right foot here.. makes no sense to left foot brake..even on a 2 pedals set...

Quote from tristancliffe :

Technically you should put it in neutral or park at a standstill, and not rev it in either neutral or park. But it's highly likely that you'd not do any damage, or even meaningful wear for a long time. Just try to keep it to a minimum if you want longevity.

I just thought of a phrase that pretty much sums it up: It's the difference between using and loving a car.

Vain

so do you turn off your headlights at night when you are near a street light to save stress on the alternator?

Quote from der_jackal :

Incorrect answer.

In real life, in an Automatic / DSG / SMG / Tiptronic / etc., you should learn to LFB.

The biggest reason;

In quite a few situations (panic, anger, distraction and so forth), people stomp at something with their right foot, because they are always trained to drive purely with their right foot. If they stomp and hit the gas...zooommmmmm, there you go.

This is how a lot of people end up turning store fronts into drive thrus and 1 door garages into 2 door drive through garages.

I H&T and LFB in my Audi, and I LFB exclusively in my Discovery 3, sue me.

Actually I think the opposite. Some old lady who left foot brakes (i have seen tons of these people in Florida going 60 mph with their brake lights strobing on and off) is more likely to plow through the local Dunkin Donuts storefront.

Quote from drinklime :

Actually I think the opposite. Some old lady who left foot brakes (i have seen tons of these people in Florida going 60 mph with their brake lights strobing on and off) is more likely to plow through the local Dunkin Donuts storefront.

The vast, vast, vast majority of people (especially older ones) do not left foot brake. I'll bet you some Chocolate Creme Dunkin Donuts that those brake light throbbers are not Left Foot Brakers. They're the worst kind of drivers...the gas on, I'm going too fast, light tap of the brake drivers. All with their right foot.

Most of the old people "drive through" accidents are caused by them having a siezure, panic attack or loss of focus, and stomping on whatever pedal they can w/ their right foot, hitting the accelerator and launching over a kerb into the store front.

Quote from Vain :

I just thought of a phrase that pretty much sums it up: It's the difference between using and loving a car.

Vain

Or how about this: It's the difference between driving and pampering a car.

That's a better analogy.

You'll never, ever convince me that putting an auto in P/N while still is ever going to increase the lifespan of the trans or the torque converter. The amount of force transmitted while idling is so low that you can roll an idling auto backwards. Compare this to the force transmitted at stall RPM, and the whole concept becomes moot in a big hurry. Let's not be patronizing, there's no need to inform regarding torque converters I'm well aware of how they operate!

When there is almost no load on the output shaft of the torque converter (remember, clutches are open), all blipping the throttle will do is bring the engine RPMs to match transmission input shaft in the next ratio down so that there is less wear on the cluches and less strain in general on the whole drivetrain.

In LFS I use LFB but IRL I use RFB, I never tried to LFB in a real car, I don't see the point in it as you don't get any real advantages of it when you aren't racing.

.. Although there are people I've seen that apparantly LFB, and are too lazy to move their foot far enough that it doesn't rest on the brake pedal.... That is annoying to the point that culprits should have their license suspended if caught... You can't tell what they're doing and it's tantamount to dangerous operation of a motorvehicle from the standpoint of other drivers. There's a good reason to teach the average joe not to LFB.

Quote from Ball Bearing Turbo :

.. Although there are people I've seen that apparantly LFB, and are too lazy to move their foot far enough that it doesn't rest on the brake pedal.... That is annoying to the point that culprits should have their license suspended if caught... You can't tell what they're doing and it's tantamount to dangerous operation of a motorvehicle from the standpoint of other drivers. There's a good reason to teach the average joe not to LFB.

So they're worse than everybody else whom you can tell what they're doing?

Anticipative guessing isn't altered any more or less because Timmy's got his foot just enough on the brake to engage the light. What you know is he's got his foot on the brake pedal enough to engage the light. At least you know that. The guy next to you on his cell phone however...

Quote from der_jackal :

So they're worse than everybody else whom you can tell what they're doing?

Anticipative guessing isn't altered any more or less because Timmy's got his foot just enough on the brake to engage the light. What you know is he's got his foot on the brake pedal enough to engage the light. At least you know that. The guy next to you on his cell phone however...

Indeed I will agree any day that people displaying poor driving while on cell phones are far worse.

Anticipative guessing is intuitive for some and not for others. Even if you've "got it", it still dreadfully annoying being behind someone with their brake lights either on constantly or flickering since there is just enough weight on the pedal to cause it to flutter.

If one doesn't have the processing power in their grey matter to be able to drive while talking on a cell phone, they shouldn't be able to own either a car or a cell phone.

I'm all full of rant today I must be in a bad mood.