Which is the Brake and Which is the Accelerator in an Automatic Transmission?
1 Answers
In an automatic transmission, the left pedal is the brake and the right pedal is the accelerator. Automatic transmission vehicles do not require the driver to manually shift gears, so there is no clutch pedal—only the brake and accelerator pedals. When driving an automatic car, only the right foot is used; the left foot remains idle. It is highly unsafe to rest the left foot on the brake pedal while driving. If the left foot is on the brake pedal, the right foot must lift off the accelerator when braking, leaving it in a suspended state. This increases the risk of accidentally pressing both pedals simultaneously, which can be dangerous. Lifting the right foot off the accelerator before pressing the brake is a safer approach. Moreover, in sudden emergencies, a panicked driver might instinctively press the brake with the left foot while keeping the right foot on the accelerator, potentially damaging the transmission, causing loss of vehicle control, and leading to severe consequences.