Wrong shoes?

MalMonroe

sevenhills said:

Merlin139 said:

Its a bit like forgetting you are driving an automatic and finding the clutch when trying to change down gears and you are doing 50 miles an hour!

You stop very very quickly!

When driving a manual the right foot is for the brake and accelerator, the same as when driving an automatic.

Exactly. I've driven both and really prefer automatics. When driving an automatic car you just ensure that your left foot is on the floor, minding its own business while you happily go about pressing D and B as appropriate with your right foot. Some automatics have a foot rest for your left foot. There shouldn't be any confusion at all. They're easy to drive and I hate the snobbiness with which drivers of automatics are sometimes treated, especially in the UK. It's much easier to drive an automatic. 

I've also discovered that there ARE shoes I can't drive in properly such as my trainers. They ARE wide and I don't think it's such a ludicrous 'excuse' at all. It's just that I won't drive in my trainers, just in case. And I hasten to add, these things don't necessarily always happen to 'the elderly'. (Yes, I am one of those now and I really resent being thought of as gormless, stupid and helpless, just because I've joined what is considered by many to be the dopy elderly, senior citizen clan.)

daveyjp

I've a pair of boots similar to Muck boots and exactly what may be worn in the garden.  I once tried driving in them after clearing my car of snow and it won't be happening again.

They are very wide and have thick soles and I can't feel the pedals through them.

Same goes for building site metal toe rigger boots, which may be fine in JCBs and tractors, but not the cars I drive.

chrisw

I've just switched to an automatic after a lifetime of driving manual cars.

 I don't have a problem whilst moving steadily, it's the slowing down to a stop without the engine stalling which my brain can't seem to compute. 

So fortunately most of my 'emergency stops' have been from 20mph or less. Oddly, electric cars are no problem.
 

400ixl

I have found certain shoes (boots usually) that make driving more difficult, usually because they are wider and often more rigid. Not personally had anything happen, but can see how it could.

Have both auto and manual cars in the house and it did take a little while to be able to jump in either and pretty much have no left foot going for an imaginary clutch, or left foot forgetting to depress an existent clutch. Very rare now that either happens.

facade

sevenhills said:

My sister had a similar thing when an elderly neighbour got the wrong pedal and drove into her garden wall, this driver was partially disabled.

How does this happen, even indicating is something that is almost automatic.

Once you are stamping on what you think is the brake, ( possibly because you are sitting in the seat at an angle, you have changed cars and the pedals are offset, you just got it wrong) the natural instinct (the automatic response) when the car isn't stopping is to press harder.

It takes a second or two to think what might be happening and make a decision to do something about it.

[Deleted User]

MalMonroe said:

sevenhills said:

Merlin139 said:

Its a bit like forgetting you are driving an automatic and finding the clutch when trying to change down gears and you are doing 50 miles an hour!

You stop very very quickly!

When driving a manual the right foot is for the brake and accelerator, the same as when driving an automatic.

Exactly. I've driven both and really prefer automatics. When driving an automatic car you just ensure that your left foot is on the floor, minding its own business while you happily go about pressing D and B as appropriate with your right foot. Some automatics have a foot rest for your left foot. There shouldn't be any confusion at all. They're easy to drive and I hate the snobbiness with which drivers of automatics are sometimes treated, especially in the UK. It's much easier to drive an automatic. 

I've also discovered that there ARE shoes I can't drive in properly such as my trainers. They ARE wide and I don't think it's such a ludicrous 'excuse' at all. It's just that I won't drive in my trainers, just in case. And I hasten to add, these things don't necessarily always happen to 'the elderly'. (Yes, I am one of those now and I really resent being thought of as gormless, stupid and helpless, just because I've joined what is considered by many to be the dopy elderly, senior citizen clan.)

It's absolutely a ludicrous excuse for anyone to use, if you drive in shoes that aren't safe to do then you're endangering yourself and others, regardless of age

caprikid1

If you have every driven a metric Caterham Chassis this is probably the tightest pedals of any road going car you can ever imagine, to the point it was a regular discussion as to the most suitable shoes to drive in. You would always walk into a pub and spot the caterham drivers, they were the ones wearing Puma Speedcats or racing shoes. All that said you knew what shoe worked and thats what you wore, hated a defender pedal angles but you could drive them in anything.

NBLondon

caprikid1 said:

hated a defender pedal angles but you could drive them in anything.

Logical - they were designed for people who might well be wearing work boots and based on a vehicle usually driven in army boots...

I agree with chrisw - I have occasionally "dipped the clutch" when driving a hired automatic and come to a stop faster than I planned.   Makes a good reminder to tuck left foot away.

Ganga

NBLondon said:

caprikid1 said:

hated a defender pedal angles but you could drive them in anything.

Logical - they were designed for people who might well be wearing work boots and based on a vehicle usually driven in army boots...

I agree with chrisw - I have occasionally "dipped the clutch" when driving a hired automatic and come to a stop faster than I planned.   Makes a good reminder to tuck left foot away.

Did the same when my boss let me drive his XJS Jaguar auto ,no problem till i tried to change gear and dipped the clutch , in defence i drove a transit van 6 days a week 

Steve182

sevenhills said:

Merlin139 said:

Its a bit like forgetting you are driving an automatic and finding the clutch when trying to change down gears and you are doing 50 miles an hour!

You stop very very quickly!

When driving a manual the right foot is for the brake and accelerator, the same as when driving an automatic.

Yes, but if you normally use your left foot for the clutch, presented with an automatic for the first time an unfamiliar driver may instinctively floor the left pedal (the brake in an auto, but the clutch in a manual) as the car slows to prevent it from stalling.