What is the best position for your right foot when driving the car on the cruise control?
I ask because today while driving on the motorway in the BMW 320 on the cruise, I was sat with my right foot flat on the floor. Suddenly, someone pulled into my lane without looking. I couldn't pull into the 3rd lane because of traffic and when I went to hit the brake, I found the clutch instead.
By this time, I was nearly on top of the other car and managed to hit the brake pedal second time of asking. Question is, where should you rest your right foot when driving on cruise?
I tried to gentle rest it on the brake pedal but this felt uncomfortable after about 10 mins (brake pedal set higher than the accelerator?) plus, I don't know if this was activating the brake lights.
Anyone any sensible suggestions?
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Good Question,
I had an identical experience today in the 330, in the end I hit the brake so hard that SWMBO is trying to claim whiplash off me.
I usually cruise with feet flat on the floor. - perhaps in the BMW one's left foot should go on the foot rest and the right foot near the brake in anticipation. I tend to trim the car's speed using the buttons on the wheel...
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For exactly the reason you state, I would be very wary of using cruise control at all. I speak as one who has no experience of it, but I would worry about my foot not being in it's trained position ready for instant response should an emergency situation such as yours occour. Most of our reactions with the controls of the car are instinctive, and in an emergency our hands and feet will jump to the position they normally expect the controls to be in.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal even gently will almost certainly activate the brake lights, they are designed to operate before the brakes begin to bite.
Out of interest, how useful do you find cruise control? I could not imagine being able to activate it for more than short periods on British m-ways, busy as they are.
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On any front-wheel drive car with cruise control, the right foot can be rested on the wheel arch, by the accelerator, and can instantly cover the brake pedal when necessary. Perhaps rear-wheel drive cars are not perfect, after all.
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On any front-wheel drive car with cruise control, the right foot can be rested on the wheel arch, by the accelerator,
There isn't a proud inner wheel arch in the cabin of a Vectra. There was one on my previous Cavalier - which I must admit to missing as it was handy to rest half your foot on it, and the other half on the accelerator, you could then pivot your foot to operate the accelerator. Now I almost have to hover my foot in the Vectra to press the loud pedal.
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I don't use cruise when I've got other cars around me. It just doesn't feel safe to me, probably because, rightly or wrongly,I don't feel fully in control should an emergency arise. Hence, cruise tends to be used late at night in the UK or any time in France.
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Tom,
I have had cruise on various cars for years but only find it really useful when towing, otherwise need to constantly check the speed is not running away, esp. downhill. I wouldn't be without it on long continental hauls. Also seems to help fuel consumption, though this maybe subjective.
I don't use it all in heavy traffic - far too scary for reasons mentioned. This means hardly ever solo in the U.K.
However, can also be useful in light urban traffic used with restraint to keep down to speed limits!
Main thing is to ensure that it doesn't reduce driver concentration.
Foot position - to prevent tiredness from having foot in one position, I tend to vary from flat on the floor - (making sure it can cover the brake as quickly as from the accelerator) or to resting loosely on the accelerator. Definately not resting on the brake. No clutch issue for a two pedal car.
Robin
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Depends how sensitive the throttle/cruise cut-out is.
I normally have my foot on the floor resting on the throttle. Everything in the right place just in case.
Mind you, I would question the wisdom of using cruise control at all in a situation where you might have to brake suddenly for other traffic.
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I tried to gentle rest it on the brake pedal but I don't know if this was activating the brake lights.
If you were activating the brake lights, surely the cruise control would have disengaged as you would have fooled the box of electronics into thinking you were braking.
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I with Mark (RLBS). I have my foot on the accelerator.
I find that it takes that fraction of a second to find the correct pedal (like the Watcher found) if I am sitting in the lotus position.
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Never used it on a manual... however on my auto car I love it, leave my left foot ready to cover the brake, as it always is anyway (takes practice, this, to avoid over-ending the car in lane 3 if you're unused to left foot braking!) & control the speed of the car with the very sensitive fingertip stalk - s'pose it's more like a hand throttle really.
In addition I take it as a point of pride in motorway driving, never to get into a situation where braking is necessary (anticipation/acceleration sense I think it's called) and the cc fits admirably with this philosophy
ES
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I don't like the idea of left foot braking - doesn't seem good practice to me (e.g. what happens when you get back into a manual) After 35 years, I don't think I could train my left foot to break instinctively anyway - we are not talking rally driving techniques here.
I don't believe anyone can guarantee never to get into a braking situation, though obviously its good practice to anticipate and try and avoid heavy breaking.
Robin.
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Each to his/her own. I fully agree that if you're not confident with a technique, don't do it. This one suits me, that's all & I've never had a prang in 14 years/300k miles (touch wood). Every day at the wheel is a learning experience, I never cease to be amazed that I get home in 1 piece driving the 6 miles home from central london, let alone when I see the tailgating lunacy on the m'ways. I've got RoSPA, bike licence & ambo training & still discover more about my driving daily. Attitude is the hardest with the blatant lawbreaking that goes on now (overtaking on the wrong side of bollards? De rigueur in south london, darling)
Crumbs that turned into a right old rant, sorry it's off thread, I'll get back to work now.
ES
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