When accelerating the right foot is used on the accelerator pedal and when braking the right foot is used on the braking pedal.
And because we drive on the left in Australia that means the steering wheel and the pedals are on the right side of the vehicle. The pedals are still in the same position, so you use your left foot for the clutch (if the car's not an automatic, of course) and your right foot for the accelerator and brake.
It's extremely easy to remember. The right skinny pedal is the gas, while the broader pedal on the left is the brake. The gas is what makes your car speed up, and the brake is what slows it down and brings it to a stop. Third pedals are present in some makes and models –this is the clutch.
The rightmost pedal is the accelerator and left-most is the clutch pedal. The one in the middle is the brake pedal, while the gear-shift lever is usually placed on the centre console and sometimes on the dashboard.
The accelerator
Your accelerator does exactly what it says on the tin - it's what you use to make your car accelerate. The more you press down on the accelerator, the faster the engine runs and the faster your car goes.
When accelerating the right foot is used on the accelerator pedal and when braking the right foot is used on the braking pedal. The left foot is placed on the foot position provided in the foot well of the driver compartment. The left foot can be used on the clutch pedal when changing gears in a manual vehicle.
Gas before clutch is by far the preferred method. Finding what works best for you is what's important but also understanding why you are doing things a certain way, and then knowing that when you switch vehicles a different approach may be required.
The reason for engaging the clutch and using the accelerator at stage 4 is to speed up the gear wheel on the drive from the engine so that, when the gear is engaged at stage 5, the teeth on that gear wheel will be moving at the proper (higher) speed to engage smoothly with the teeth on the new gear wheel.
Excessively revving the engine while using clutch control, or keeping the clutch partially engaged while accelerating with the gas pedal, can cause unnecessary damage to the clutch.
The skinny one on the left will be your gas pedal. It's directly responsible for giving gas to the engine and affects how fast your auto moves. The larger one on the right is the brake pedal that will slow your ride and ultimately bring it to a complete stop when needed.
The basic idea is that by using two feet to drive — one for the accelerator and one for the brake — drivers will be less likely to use the wrong pedal by accident. Because you don't need to maneuver your right foot back and forth, you reduce the chance of an inaccurate placement.
The accelerator is also known as gas pedal. It is the pedal located on the floor on the far-right. This pedal controls the amount of gas being fed into the engine and thereby controls the speed of the vehicle. You push the accelerator with your right foot with your heel resting on the ground.
The accelerator pedal is the pedal on the right and is operated using the right foot only. The accelerator, otherwise known as the gas pedal or throttle regulates engine speed.
The brake pedal is located on the floor to the left of the accelerator. When pressed, it applies the brakes, causing the vehicle to slow down and/or stop. You must use your right foot (with your heel on ground) to exert force on the pedal to cause the brakes to engage.
Riding the clutch
Don't rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving. A slight press on the clutch can cause the gears to wear and tear quickly.
Many drivers will do this by holding on to the clutch biting point to keep themselves steady on the incline. But, by doing this, you're burning up the friction material on your clutch disc as the clutch will be spinning at one speed while the engine's pressure plate is moving at another.
When the brakes are applied at the same time with the clutch, it will bring the car to an instant stop. This occurs when there is a need to stop the car immediately. An example can be when someone or an animal suddenly comes out right in front of you.
If you're driving slowly below 10mph and want to stop then press the clutch before the brake so that the car doesn't stall. You're more likely to stall or have a shaky stop if you're driving slowly below 10mph and press the brake first then clutch.
There are three ways an object can accelerate: a change in velocity, a change in direction, or a change in both velocity and direction.
Hard accelerations and hard braking together cause wear and tear on a vehicle. A driver who rapidly accelerates often has to brake harder. Drivers who accelerate rapidly during city driving tend to speed to the next light, having to brake harder over a shorter distance, Lisk explained.