How Many Feet Should Be Used to Operate an Automatic Transmission Car?
2 Answers
Use one foot to operate. Whether it's a manual or automatic transmission, the right foot is used to control both the accelerator and the brake. During normal driving, the left foot rests on the floor in a standby position, while the right foot controls the accelerator. It is not recommended to use both feet to drive an automatic transmission car. More detailed explanations are as follows: 1. Driving an automatic transmission car requires controlling both the accelerator and brake with one foot. The brake and accelerator pedals are placed on the right side of the foot, so the left foot cannot reach the brake. 2. Using both feet to control can lead to accidental pressing in emergencies. When driving an automatic transmission car with both feet, in an emergency, the instinct is to press with the foot. If the accelerator is pressed first, it can cause a more severe traffic accident. Under normal circumstances, the car will not require both acceleration and braking simultaneously, so using one foot is sufficient. New drivers should develop good habits when driving automatic transmission cars to avoid the phenomenon of driving with both feet. 3. For manual transmission models, the driver's two legs need to control three pedals, and it's impossible to press the brake and accelerator simultaneously. If a misoperation results in both pedals being pressed, due to the intervention of the electronic system, the car's computer ECU will default to the principle of brake priority. Therefore, the left foot controls the clutch, and the right foot controls the brake and accelerator, which is the most scientific design. 4. Since automatic transmission cars do not have a clutch, theoretically, the brake and accelerator can be controlled with the left and right feet respectively. However, if such a bad driving habit is formed, once driving a manual transmission car, the driver is more likely to confuse the pedals, increasing the possibility of mistaking the accelerator for the brake or vice versa.
Never use your left foot to brake in an automatic transmission car! With twenty years of driving automatics, I've personally learned that using only your right foot is the safest and most scientific approach. Initially, it might feel awkward to switch between the gas and brake with one foot, but this completely prevents the dangerous scenario of both feet pressing down simultaneously in an emergency. Imagine if your left foot is on the brake while your right foot accidentally hits the gas—that could be disastrous. Let your left foot rest leisurely on the dead pedal, while your right foot handles all the actions—extend it forward to accelerate and pivot your ankle left to brake. This way, muscle memory develops quickly. If your right leg gets tired on long drives, simply move your entire foot off during red lights to relax.
