Left Foot Braking

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First thing I'd like to mention, is that the links in the original post are well worth reading, particularly the input from Steve Wallace (who I've known casually for many years in the Driver Training business, and oftentimes don't agree with) but I would definitely endorse his comments.

For sure, drivers who brake with the left foot are potentially less stable in their seating position under severe transient steering maneuvers (think in terms of high speed turns, or driving fast through a slalom course) but few drivers actually do this on public roads. So what works for racing drivers isn't necessarily applicable to normal street driving. That's also why high performance cars will come with a driver's seat & belts that keeps them firmly in place even under heavy g-forces. Few of us ever encounter this sort of physical loading, though, and not in normal smooth, defensive driving.

There is an essential, fundamental difference between operating an accelerator (aka throttle) pedal and a brake pedal.

The accelerator, the arc it travels through from its own pivot point, is designed so that the driver's right foot can rest on the floor, pivoting from the heel. Unless you turn on the cruise control (a dangerous device, most of the time IMHO) then that same right foot can and should remain in basically the same place all the time that you're driving, unless you're applying the brakes.

But the pivot point for the brake pedal, and the long arc of travel, is quite different (even in a Porsche!). Trying to use it whilst keeping your heel on the floor is actually impossible in many vehicles (unless you have incredibly big feet and remarkably flexible ankles) if you're to do this with proper control.

So the human physiology is important to consider here, in terms of practical application. And in my estimation, most left foot braker’s aren't up to it; they inadvertently drag the brakes frequently, activating their stop lights so often that it's unclear when they're actually slowing  their vehicle, and oftentimes, such as when they're parallel parking, applying far too much stress on the driveline components as they shift between forward/reverse gears.

But even if you're not on a race track, there are practical applications when using the left foot to brake is the clever thing to do. Commencing with when you're stopped on a steep hill, particularly in a heavy vehicle, and want to avoid rollback. Put your left foot on the brake, add a little throttle with your right foot, and ease off the brake to move away smoothly; done right, nobody will ever notice - because you're in proper control of your vehicle, as you should be.

Using the left foot to brake when downshifting in an automatic can also allow you to use a gentle throttle application so as to keep things smooth. And if, by chance, you own an older vehicle (I'm thinking pre-1991 here) with a carburetor (rather than fuel injection) then it's smart to secure the vehicle with your left foot on the brake as you use the appropriate amount of throttle to start the motor effectively.

If you look at a typical Class 1 truck with airbrakes, the foot valve (aka brake pedal) will be centred between the clutch and the throttle pedals. There's a reason behind this, which many truck drivers don't realize; it's so that you can slow the vehicle with your left foot, while downshifting with your right foot (no clutch being used here). Typical application for this would be down-shifting several gears as you execute a turn whilst on a downgrade. Not that shifting without using the clutch in a rig is normally the right thing to do (the manufacturers of the transmissions will always recommend double-clutching) but the essential thing is to maintain the best control of the vehicle.

So it’s not a matter of whether left foot braking is right or wrong. It’s a matter of application. Also, that was a clever pun, in case you didn’t notice …