Heds wrote:
Hi,

I wonder if you could help settle an argument between my wife and I
(at least this one is related to cars!).

She drives with her left foot covering the clutch and says that she
was taught this technique as the correct way to drive and it helps her
if she needs to stop quickly.

I on the other hand say that if you need to stop quickly it is the
brake pedal she should be worrying about and that her left foot should
be flat on the floor or on the purpose built foot rest, unless she is
in the process of changing gear.

She insists that her foot is not on the clutch and just above it so is
hovering and therefore not causing the clutch any problems.

If anyone could help settle this friendly discussion I would be most
grateful. Especially if I could be proved right :-)

thanks
H Phillips

When driving down the motorway? I see no problem with putting your foot
in a comfortable position, quite possibly on the 'foot rest' (if the car
has one, a recent Fiesta I drove has no space to the left of the clutch
pedal at all!).

However, having your foot on the 'foot rest' is incompatible with your
suggested approach of "if you need to stop quickly it is the brake pedal
she should be worrying about". A few times I've caught my foot under
the clutch pedal when taking it off the rest and trying to get to the
brake. It's a lot further from the rest to the brake (plus involves two
movements - up and across), than from hovering over the clutch to the
brake (one movement - across).

So, as long as the clutch isn't actually being touched, then I see no
problem with it. I certainly wouldn't see it as being 'wrong', and
would probably see it as prudent in situations where you anticipate
having to brake quickly.

D