Is There a right foot braking lobby? Should we care?
Yes there is and we should care because in the last 50 years it can be blamed for the deaths of 30,000 people, the life changing injuries to millions and the financial cost of billions and this is just in parking lots! Multiply a few times when you add in the roadways.
Who is in this lobby? Those in charge of driver legislation and training and most drivers of automatic transmission cars who have been indoctrinated to use only the right foot to operate both the gas pedal and the brake pedal, based on the scientific proof of, “my father and the driving instructor said it was the only way”.
NHTSA has published data indicating that right foot pedal errors cause about 18,000 parking lot crashes each year. The lobby blames it on women and the old drivers. They refuse to even consider that right foot braking on automatic cars is too complicated for the average driver, regardless of age or gender, especially in a moment of panic.
Please for the sake of the pedestrians, cyclists and especially the children, ask those in charge to commit to a scientific study comparing right foot braking with the Left Foot Braking Method (leftfootbraking.org), or other safer Google like methods of braking.
Trevor W. Frith B.S.M.E. P Eng. (R)
Trevor W. Frith is the webmaster of leftfootbraking .org and is calling on those in charge of driver legislation and training to commit to a scientific study comparing right foot braking on automatic transmission cars with the Left Foot Braking Method. Mr. Frith may be reached at [email protected]