Tips and techniques for Driver Education events

This collection of drivers education tips and advice is the result of a collaboration which started several months ago. The following PCA members contributed their experiences and ideas: Ellen Beck (North Country), Bill Cline (Eastern Buckeye), Wil Ferch (Niagara), Bill Gregory (Connecticut Valley), David Kalokitis (Schattenbaum), Claire McConaha (Allegheny), John Mingst (Metro NY), and Rob Stoesser (Northeast).  

These article were written by Art Meltzer of CVR

Heel Toe Shifting

Left Foot Braking

Ice Pedal

“WHEN THE STUDENT IS REALLY READY THE TEACHER WILL APPEAR” - -Lao Tzu

HOW TO TEACH YOURSELF HEEL TOE SHIFTING

By Art Meltzer

For those of us that drive cars with three pedals, heel-to-toe shifting (HTS) is an essential component of HPDE.  HTS is a complex maneuver that requires precise footwork coordinated with an awareness of engine rpms that is performed during heavy braking while preparing for a corner.  It’s no surprise that many drivers find HTS difficult to learn and to perform.

This article will discuss the consequences of downshifting without HTS as it relates to the impact on the car and the driver’s ability to negotiate a corner and present a stepwise and safe technique to teach yourself HTS.

By Art Meltzer

Most of us learned to drive on a car with an automatic transmission. We were taught to use our right foot to operate both the brake and gas pedals. Let’s call this one-foot driving (OFD). There is no role for your left foot in OFD. For those who learned to drive on a manual transmission your left foot was limited to operating the clutch pedal.

Probably the most important reason for the limited role of your left foot is safety. Using only your right foot for both the gas and brake minimizes the likelihood that you will step on the gas instead of the brake and vice-versa. Also, OFD rules out the possibility that you will simultaneously apply the gas and brake. Simultaneous application of the gas and brake will unnecessarily wear the brakes and may damage the torque converter in the transmission.

Let’s use the term left-foot braking (LFB) to refer to using your left foot to brake. This article will highlight the advantages of LFB over OFD and provide the reader with a mechanism to learn LFB.