Ashley recently taught me this during an ADI Part 2 assessment. It's made such a big difference to my driving, making braking smoother and more comfortable. Thanks again for all the helpful advice, Ashley 😊

This is great advice, many drivers do it naturally, but having the heel in the wrong place does make smooth driving very difficult.

Thanks for this, it's an important topic. Many of us get used to doing things in a certain way, not necessarily the optimum way - any doctor can tell you how many people they treat for back pain, joint issues etc caused by poor posture. It can be such a small change that makes the difference, like your example of not lifting the heel on the clutch. I have had arthritis for over twenty years (early onset in my teens) and make a point of studying ergonomics and efficient movement because otherwise it's just too painful to do a lot of things. Advice like this is very helpful, so thank you.

So grateful for this. my instructor never showed me the right way and I've had so many shin splints cos I don't know how to fix it. going to test this now!

Brilliant posting, thanks. Clearly and calmly explained too - this helps understanding and retention of knowledge. It is frightening how sloppy technique creeps in over the years! Next journey, guess what I will be looking at! Great channel!

Thanks Ashley I'm glad you did this one.

Very good Ashley, special the ergonomic tips.

I haven’t driven for a while and that is one of the reasons that I subscribe to this channel as its a great way to keep up to date and check for any bad habits. Many people fail to adjust their seat (and/or steering rack if that is an option). Consequently the driving position is poor....... Being hunched over the wheel or stretched right out are both clearly wrong. A comfortable driving position should, by rights, allow the feet to be positioned as described. I hope that makes sense. Stay safe out there.

I think I do it like you suggest but seriously, I've never really considered it. Fascinating!

Hi, reassuring to know that after 51 years of motoring I've been doing something recommend by an expert 🤔. Always learning everytime I start the car 👍. Looking forward to your next vid, many thanks ...

Hello all. As often the case, this video has come in just as I'm off to an event. Canterbury Classic Car Show today. A very nearby local event for a change. Will watch this video with great interest later. Have a great Saturday everyone.

This is actually really useful for me as I recently started learning with my parents n it’s been hell despite that fact I have been watching the channel for years 😅

Wow I've never thought about this before. Now I'm gonna be watching next time I drive to see what I actually do.

Thanks for this. I was getting pain at the front of my shin on driving lessons so I’ll defo try this out on tomorrows driving lesson

Useful advice. The related issue is the seat position and steering column position vis a vis each other - depending on one’s physical size. My normal setup is quite like yours, and when using the accelerator my right thigh rests on the seat, whereas when braking it is just above it, so it’s my right hip that does most of the movement, with mid-sole on the brake, and almost my toes on the accelerator, with my heel always on the deck. Fortunately the steering wheel is not completely round, otherwise my knee is pretty close to it when aiming at the brake pedal. A bit of a compromise to achieve a comfortable seat height.

Nice to see Ashely watches Clearview too! I'm just waiting till I appear in one of her videos as they drive around where I deliver quite often.

Nice refresher tip Ash, Thanks again. Beautiful White Trainers btw 😉👍

Thanks for this Ashley 👍, I will try this out the next time I drive 😊

This is getting tried tomorrow for sure!

It's been so long since I last drove, I can't remember how I did it & it was something I struggled with when learning.👍

A couple of additional points I would like to mention around the pedals. Firstly, great advice about hovering the foot above the clutch pedal. It is very easy to rest the foot on the pedal and then it gradually falls and presses the clutch in slightly, wearing the clutch out quicker Secondly, if you are doing the pivot in the right place your carpet / mat will wear out underneath the brake pedal (mine has which is a good sign!) And lastly, if you are putting your foot in front of the accelerator and pivoting left for the brake instead of the advice here of in front of the brake pedal and pivot for the accelerator, you can find your foot gets caught under the brake pedal a lot more especially on quicker movement (ie emergency stopping). Most cars I have driven the accelerator is lower than the brake pedal and the original positioning of the feet / legs causes this problem from what I can tell Good video as always Ashley

In my opinion this style is more comfortable and should come naturally. Never thought about it before

Saw a news report a few years ago about driving in bad foot-ware like high heals or wellingtons. I noticed when they showed the person quickly going from the accelerator or the break, they were lifting their whole foot off the floor and moving across to the break. I remember at the time thinking it looked like a bad method of breaking.

When I recently passed my test, the examiner made a point of telling me not to keep my foot hovering over the clutch and put it to the side.

Nice to be told I've been doing it right all this time! Although I do rest both feet flat on the ground on long drives when I have the cruise control set, but there's usually enough time to move my right foot hovering over the brake if something comes up.

Knew you did these type of videos before . Looked back and saw you did this 6 years ago for the first time ( think you have done similar videos in between times from then till now ). But you have certainly added a few more important tips from that first time . And your style of shoe wear was different at that time . 😩 😄

ive only been driving about 3 years never had a crash or bump or anything yet. but when im driving my right knee ( throttle pedal leg ) always locks up and i have to fully extend it to like click it back in place. after watching this im starting to think its my right leg positioning, every day is a school day :) love the videos Ashley great information as always thanks :)

wow the point about the shin pains really stood out to me because my shins do burn quite a bit after driving and never really thought much of it, just assumed i should probably start doing some more stretching lol

Thanks for the pivot tip. I've been having fierce pain in my shin after long drives so I'm gonna give your method a go now.

Granted, ive not watched the whole video just yet, but i would have thought that foot placement is the foundation for a lot of drivers. My own instructor when i was learning, made sure to use my foot placement as the key to where my seat goes. Hed ask me to clutch in, and there should be a slight bend in my left leg, no over extension, but not only moving my foot. Then adjust the seat distance accordingly. This then made it the perfect diatance for my right foot to reach the other pedals without strain, and without having to lift my heel. Ive used that method ever since and its worked a treat

it does also allow muscle memory to find the brake pedal as well, without having to think/look where the pedal is in an emergency. it is something my instructor didn't mention when I was learning to drive, but having bigger feet does come with the advantage as well, like I am size 11, so can keep my foot in the brake position, and not having to move my foot, whereas someone with say a size 6 would have to lift their foot. like my mother always moves her feet as they won't reach the pedals properly from the floor.

Good video. One other thing, I was taught to move my hand to the gear level before de-clutching

As a long time stick shift driver, this is like thinking hard about how you tie your shoe laces. The more you think about how you actually do it, the weirder it gets. 🙂 Great explanation though.

I learnt to drive in the seventies. I wasn't taught anything about foot positions -- getting the correct pedal with the correct foot was the only thing my instructor cared about I don't even know where i put my feet: it's just dropped out of my awareness. I will have to make a point of noticing next time I'm driving.

The right footwear is important also. I've seen people drive in flip flops , high heels etc. Be comfortable yes but need to have stability in the foot and ankle and an amount of feel for the pedals.

I have never fully considered my foot position, well except to move my heel so not to wear a dip in the mat. I will take some time to consider and adjust my foot position.

Never consciously thought about the positioning of my feet while driving, as far as I am aware I do pivot as you are explaining here, I have never had pain in my legs while driving so I must be doing something right there. However, I think next time I go for a drive, I will find a quiet area, probably round Blundellsands with all the learners and just have a think/look how I position my feet and if it isn't as you are showing here I will try this and see what feels more natural for me.

I can remember my driving instructed telling me, "Break to Throttle. NOT Throttle to Break". That was over thirty years ago now...... Dam 😥

If I have the radio on, I tap my foot to the music, generally it’s in the brake pedal so I guess it’s safe?

with a lot of modern cars, there is actually a heel position you can put your clutch foot on the floor, and go through your gears without moving your heel. then foot off the clutch. using the clutch pedal for a footrest will cause accelerated wear on the mechanism. but it is a very important habit to get into always having your heel on the floor, or if you have a treadle style accelerator pedal, at the pivot of the treadle. trying to drive with your foot floating on the accelerator will cause your foot to bounce every time you hit a bump, and you will start surging on the throttle.

Car manufacturers have a lot to answer for foot and leg positioning. Vauxhall in the 90s were terrible for the offset pedal geometry which made good foot position quite painful. Best cars for pedal position were my Subaru and TVR the latter of which had adjustable pedals. German cars with floor mounted acellerators are pretty good ergonomically.

Amazing. I’ve just recently passed, and I’ve been getting the sore shin you mentioned!

My dad always taught me the right foot stays over the brake and pivots at the heel position (and yes, the right corner on my shoes always gets worn down faster). But I've always just twisted it with my ankle, I think you've just shown me why the muscles on my right calf are large than those on my left. Looks like I'll have to start trying to move my leg from the hip. Being a large footed person I have a particular dislike of cars before the 10s when there wasn't the platform to rest your clutch foot (or the tiny platform which Peugeot use to have).

Superb quality advice 🙏🏼Is it possible to do a video on how to drive an automatic gearbox vehicle? Loads of people are so confident that having an automatic gearbox is just a "straightforward" process of driving, but i noticed there are quite a few incidents, accidents caused by drivers of this types of vehicles. P.S I,'ve seen you already have videos covering the automatic transmission cars🙏🏼

Since I've had to go out this morning, I thought I'd do that and check my foot position before commenting. I'm glad to say that I pivot on the heel from in line with the brake pedal. I realised that I put my foot on the brake before putting the car in gear ready to pull off even though I'm currently driving a manual car - probably a throw over from driving so many automatics. My clutch use is fairly good too but with less sliding on the floor mat. I have found that my left knee gives me gyp if I have to drive an extended time in town or on a long journey with lots of gear changes. For this reason, I'll probably go for an auto when I change cars next time. One thing I have found, slightly deviating, is that electric seats are much better for my broken body on long journeys. It means I can make very small adjustments to get comfortable, or make bigger changes more easily and safely in order to change the pressures. It helps buying a comfortable car in the first place, which is why I've stuck with Citroën for so long. After the old land yachts in the States, there's nothing quite like it. Less fun (but still capable of staying on the road) if you want to try out the twisties but I did plenty of that when I was younger.

Thank you

Correct foot placement is something that the car manufacturers must consider - some years ago, (old Vauxhall Cavalier) we needed to insert a wooden block under the carpet so that one could reach the pedals (designed for a size 12 boot height). You do need to consider your leg length (for the seat front/back) adjustment and the steering wheel distance to the body. Sometimes a car just isn't suitable for a given person

Good points. A few people I have known over the years have kept their legs suspended in the air when working the pedals. Another, who drove automatic kept their left leg tucked up under the seat….how painful! Years ago, cars like the Peugeot 106 and others had very offset pedals (to the left)…they were also v close together. Hopefully nothing like that around now. Automatic? Never left foot brake.

Twice now, I have been caught out by wearing steel toecap boots. The left foot snuck under the brake pedal, and blocks its movement. Then you can’t feel you foot being squashed. It takes a lot of processing time to work out to let go of the brake, remove left foot and reapply the brake.

The way I do my clutch (which is quite long and heavy), I keep my ankle on the floor in the same position, pivot my foot until I get the biting point and start moving, then I lift my leg up to completely engage the clutch

Im a new subscriber so I am not sure on this but have you made a video on the perfect driving position? Including seat height, position, etc and would you consider making one if you have not

Heel and toe, rev matching, sorted 😁 Joke aside, I have a pet peeve on some cars. Those designed as a LHD car and redesigned as a RHD, that's when you find out the pedals are offset and/ or the steering is at an odd angle. I found this uncomfortable in a few situations, even painful on long drives and getting hamstring pains to the point of having to stop and go for a walk before being able to finish the journey. A long time ago I had a Citroen Saxo, forget about driving that with work shoes, same with a few other cars. These days my brake pedal is twice the size of the one in that video.

Easy solution, start driving on the right hand side like most of the world. In a "normal" car your right leg can rest against the center console in most cars and you have good control of your movements.

Hey Ashley, I was just watching your video with Ogmios, had a quick question - you mentioned it costs less than 2 quid to be insured for that car, could I ask if you used your existing insurer or those app-based temporary insurance? Thanks.

I've never linked my shoe wear to the use of the pedal as you do. I'm always finding the right outer heal is rounded off well before the left. My feet sit in the positions you state but I've never consciously thought about it before. As an added point, I rented a vauxhall crossland a few months ago and suffered badly with right shin pain for a week after using the car for two days. Now I suspect I know why...

Some lovely new trainers in place for this video, Ashley 👍🏼😂

With size 12 feet and six ft eleven tall cars aren't made for people like me so my Volvo XC90 I just muddle through it foot rests on clutch pedal and other on accelerator. I have to lift my foot to change pedals don't work other wise foots to big, knees shot legs too long 😊

My car mat is worn out in the same pattern as I pivot my foot on it. I honestly can't remember taking about foot position when I learned, I think I just did it because It was easier. Even if I use cruise control, I keep my foot over the throttle as I know where the brake is from there. I tried it once of having my foot in another place and muscle memory meant I couldn't get to the brake as easy.

The correct positions you demonstrated are what i tend to do anyway. The only problem with me is my smaller legs. I'm average height at 5"7 to 5"8 but my legs aren't that long so i sit more forward in order to push the clutch down more comfortably, although that does result in my right foot being a little too pivoted at times when switching from Accelerate to Brake. After a long journey my shin's on fire but if i move the seat a little more back then my left leg has to stretch right out in order to press the clutch down properly. Either way i'm used to this, i do everything else like you demonstrated. Sometimes i do feel i sit too forward, but most of the time it's the only way i feel i can drive the most effectively.

As for pain in my knees, my feet positioning are a result of the pain and not the other way round. I have a old rugby injury to both knees and I think that's why I use this style simply because it's the most comfortable and gives me no pain over time

As you are probably aware (I do mention it a few times!) I already have bad knees so this was one of the first things I looked at was foot positioning while driving due to doing ~35,000 miles a year. Turned out I was already pivoting from the hip so my knees are broken just from older age and previous injuries 👍

In an automatic I use my left foot for the brake and right foot for acceleration. In a manual car or truck on long motorway drives I can actually use my left foot for brake and acceleration in an auto or manual vehicle

Nice video

When I was on a 5 hour trip my knees started hurting 1/3 of the way. I definitely use my whole leg so will try this out

Great advice! I drive an automatic, so my left foot is not needed. I already keep my right foot in the same position as you, with my heel infront of the brake pedal and then pivoting to press the accelerator. But I do get a lot of pain in the front of my ankle and shin! Will give the hip move a try. What worsens the pain is because I've got an electric handbrake that automatically releases when I accelerate to move away, if I'm sat at a red light I'll have the handbrake on but my foot will be hovering over the accelerator (not touching it) ready to pull away. Keeping my foot angled *and* lifted up is so unnatural it really hurts! But if I keep my foot flat on the floor then it takes longer to drive away when the lights turn green.

Thanks.

Quick question about signal lights - some vehicles have a quick 3 blink option when if you push up the stock but not all the way it will give 3 blinks to the blinker. What are your thoughts on that?

What are your thoughts about using the left foot to brake in an automatic?

I’ve never had shin pain in a car but some vans are terrible for it especially if they have high pedals

I've always just used my ankle for acc/brake, I'll try with leg for switching between the two next on my next lesson. My instructor says to use big toe to get fine adjustment of the speed, but it doesn't work too well for me.

Would love to see some rev matching, heel toe stuff.

I have had that shin pain a few of times, it’s like cramp and it is horrible. Could you do a video on correct seat setup as I think I have it wrong. I share a car with someone a foot shorter than myself and when I get in after they have been driving I drop the seat down to the floor which I think might be too low, but I also bring the seat forward even though I have longer legs than them, I think that is weird.

That's what I usually do but sometimes I press too hard on the accelerator and my foot begins to hurt

What is that camera stuck to the side window?

Its actually really hard to think about. I have driven 15 years and I can't really recall how my feet naturally locate. I do practice moving my feet fast, accel, brake, accel brake occasionally. I also occasionally, purely for fun engage in a little blip/rev matched down shifts which requires using the brake and accelerator together. Much more useful on a track though. You run the risk of slipping and having the throttle down at the same time as the brake if it goes wrong. I have a track day video where this happens braking into a hairpin, you can hear the throttle is still on after the down shift. That's going to over heat the brakes rightly.

Hi ash, just a general question, or others. There is a junction near me, Greenford Broadway, it has two lanes approaching, one for right turn, one for straight and left. These lights go off one after the other. Everyone drives down the right turn lane and pushes into the left lane. Now it's basically a massive battlefield with huge amounts of aggression. What's your thoughts. When the set up changed to this current one last year, i always let them in. But now it's literally just people who don't want to queue in the left/straight lane and just use the right only turn to jump the longer queue, not just some either, it will be the same number as are in the correct lane. Which means anyone who wants to turn right will be stopped, leading to constant beeping. And i find myself deliberately not letting people in. This is what everyone does now so the road design is really dangerous.

I had to shift my leg b and foot positioning after a while because it was triggering my arthritis, plus my calf was hurting.

I find if I start to think about what I'm doing I forget which foot goes where 😂

Ash, ive told the missus to stop keeping her foot on the clutch, she stays in first at traffic lights with the cluch depressed...this will make her feel justified in what shes doing, the clutch thrust bearing is suffering, please help.

my right leg is in the place you say, i've always done that

I identify as a penguin... therefore im allowed to have happy feet❤

Thanks

Absolutely no idea where I have my feet positioned when driving, apart from the depression of the clutch when initially positioning the driving seat I've never given in any thought, I'll check it out next time I get in my campervan though.

My pet peeve is drivers who rest their left foot on the clutch pedal. Depending in the vehicle, the weight of their foot can slightly depress the pedal, so the clutch is never 100% engaged.

Hi all

6:15 Changing gear "Clutch down, off gas" followed by "in to gear" is what instructors advise but the space between the two can be when you lose a lot of momentum. Some pupils might even have the car stop whilst they search for the gear lever.

Hi Ashley, I have a question. With us, with the steeringwheel on the left we do have a restingplace for the foot of the clutch. But not for the foot for the brake and accelerator. When I drive on the highway with adaptive cruisecontrol, I always have some conflict with myself where to put the foot of the brake and accelerator. I sometimes catch myself having put the foot under and even sometimes a little behind, which (in my opinion) is dangerous. Hovering it above the pedals gives me not a nice feeling. So I end up retracting my foot a bit, so it is flat on the floor. What do you recommend? In the time I had my drivinglessons there was no cruisecontrol on most cars, so I never learned how to drive with it.

I’d be surprised if someone could learn to drive without any leg pain. Because until you learn to drive you don’t ever have to do any fine motor control with your feet. But once you’re a regular driver this pain should go away if you follow Ashley’s advice.

6:35 is it worth mentioning to not actually *rest* or apply pressure to the clutch cos it can wear your clutch out faster ...or your instructors clutch 😂

I wonder what Aman from Clearview Driving will think about this!

Thanks, my feet are flat and always heavy. I don't even feel I'm touching the pedals, though my instructor says I am.

Thanks for the great video as always. I'm 6'3 with long legs and also size 14 feet so find it difficult to use these techniques due to lack of space. My car is in boy racer move (seat down and back, although steering wheel is up and close otherwise my knees are stuck against the steering wheel) Any tips for us larger lads?

I've been tryng to cure myself from driving with my left foot lightly resting on the clutch pedal all the time, as I've heard that this increases clutch wear. Also, I like to drive without my shoes on as I somehow feel more at one with the vehicle that way.

You forgot to mention that it also helps if you paint your toenails a nice pretty colour, haha! 😉

Pivot... Pivot... P I V O T !!! Sorry Ash, couldn't help myself. If you know you know.

Well, I went on the convoy in Canada and let me tell you I messed up my foot because of the stop and go traffic for 3-4 hours straight. And it was a hard clutch and maybe it was because of the way I was using it. Hmm.

I must be strange because I don’t pivot my foot, I move it from one pedal to the other. I can’t see how pivoting the foot could ever be comfortable, especially with the heel nearer the brake pedal, as that would strain my leg muscles beyond my tolerance. I’m sure someone will tell me that I am “doing it wrong”, but it is the most comfortable option for me.

My car's an automatic, so the clutch isn't a problem, but I honestly don't recall how I change from accelerator to brake and back, I'll have to take note and remember next time I'm out..!

I just use right foot for accel and left foot for break and clutch

Or try an old Landy wearing steelies.