Sure, Why Not: Combination Brake / Accelerator Pedal

This is a fantastic invention for people with one foot.

^^An automatic already takes just one foot, right? Wait, are you admitting to being a left-foot braker?

Just a thought, wouldn't a better design (Than this!) would be place the gas and brake far apart so you can only use a different foot for each. For example, only on automatic commuter cars, the brake is far to the left, and gas far to the right. Left foot brakes, right foot accelerates, or vice versa.
Done.

@jederino, I immediately went...wait a second.... when I clicked submit. AHA!

Just thinking about driving across Arizona or Texas with this makes my leg hurt.

This proposed pedal might be a good arrangement for dual clutch transmissions, replacing the floppy paddles behind the steering wheel. Turn right to upshift, left to downshift.

@breadwagon: A completely different setup for manual and automatic vehicles?

Looking back, I think I've avoided about as many accidents by hitting the accelerator or maneuvering with steering than I have by hitting the brakes. This invention sounds like a sideways trade-off to me. But then again I don't drive a Toyota. Perhaps this panic-stomp instinct only applies to Toyota drivers.

The way it is now is good enough. However, for people with no legs, I think motorcycle controls coupled with an automatic transmission would be ideal. I wonder if this has been done yet, and if not - why not?

I also think that joystick-like controls is an idea that should be explored. Push forward to go forward, backward to brake and/or reverse (depending on if moving or stopped). The further you push, the faster you go. Left and right goes left and right, obviously. This setup would work well for legless people and those without a lot of leg strength (elderly or infirm).

jederino says:

09:12 AM, 08/ 5/10

^^An automatic already takes just one foot, right? Wait, are you admitting to being a left-foot braker?

jederino, are you suggesting that left foot braking is a bad habit? If so, I have to disagree, I've been doing it for more than 40 years, never a problem...

I dunno about this. Either its return action is going to have to be quite light or expect it to be painfully unusable for anyone with ankle or knee issues. And of course a very light return action would make it touchy. I'd say make the accelerator something you'd have to lift up, but that would make it very hard to find and do when full throttle was suddenly called for in a emergency.

Any one ;) can now do some super fast WRC hard Rally Driving. Left foot braking will be a snap for the masses.

I can see it now... a set of brakes will last about 1,000 to 1,500 Miles.

@felonius: "Push forward to go forward, backward to brake and/or reverse (depending on if moving or stopped)."

Then you'd have Edmunds.com journalists saying that the "right" way to arrange this is to pull back to move forward and push forward to brake/reverse, because it's the way your momentum takes you, and it's like a racecar's sequential transmission.

@acbayard: Yes there should be different set-ups for autos vs manuals because when was the last time unintended acceleration was reported in a manual car? I'd say never, because once the car steps out of the line, you'd throw in the clutch and scratch your head as to why the engine was redlining, rather than screaming and hitting a tree.

Greenpony, I did think about that. :) However, that's just too unintuitive when it comes to pure joystick control. Think "electric wheelchair".

I know your post was a joking jab, but still felt like replying. :)

With a manual transmission, you wiggle your big toe to operate the clutch with this setup.

@lvgti: Left-foot braking makes it easier to "ride" the brake pedal; even slight pressure will activate the brake lights and confuse people following you, plus you may be activating the brakes and wearing out the pads sooner--and using more fuel than necessary to overcome inertia. It also makes it possible to brake and accelerate at the same time, which in most circumstances is not a good idea, and in the days before brake pedal override, could be a bad idea. Driving instruction discouraged it, and my father was adamant about never using the left foot to brake. I always associated the practice with women drivers, because my mother and sister would do it until he barked at them, while my brother and I had no problem using the right foot for both pedals. If you keep your left foot off the pedal except when you need to brake, OK, but no, it was never considered good practice.

I drive a forklift with left foot on the brake. Same with gokarts.

Look on the bright side: a heel-and-toe would be very literal!

bc1960,

I appreciate your thoughts on the subject.

As I said, I've been left foot braking for 40 years. I don't ride the pedal. I've never accidentally hit the throttle instead of the brake or hit them both at the same time. I was taught the technique by a LAPD officer. He said that was what they were teaching when he went thru the academy.

I broke my left foot last year. While in the cast I had no trouble going to right foot baking & returning to the left foot when the cast came off. Left foot braking comes in real handy in heavy traffic. Maybe once or twice a month I drive a vehicle with a MT, I've never had a problem switching between the two. I guess I may be an exception to the rule.

I'm shakin my head. This can't and won't make it to production cars. People will be too confused by this and end up braking all the time. Not to mention it's bad for your talus (ankle bone), seeing how much you constantly strain it to the right. Why bother making drivers confused and lazy?

@greenpony: LOL at the "right" way to point a joystick.

@breadwagon: "because when was the last time unintended acceleration was reported in a manual car?"

I had a late '80s Mercury Topaz manual that had a UA problem. Ford recalled AT-equipped vehicles but ignored ones with an MT. I had a couple of occasions when I had down-shifted but still had to drive with the brakes on to keep my speed down to 55.

BTW, the ECU was the UA culprit.

I still believe the ECU is behind Toyota's UA problem as well. It's unreasonable to think of so many "confused" drivers having this problem and reporting identical vehicle responses within such a short span. And a faulty ECU explains why sensor logs show the gas was being hit when it wasn't; the ECU glitch could well be that the ECU _thinks_ and _reports_ the gas pedal as being depressed when in fact it is not.