Why are the brakes and accelerator pedals of automatic transmission models on the right?

Automatic transmission models have only two operating pedals-the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. The two pedals are on the same side, controlled by the right foot, and you don't need the left foot when driving. Some people think: Why can't you control the brakes with your left foot? Isn't this left foot brake and right foot accelerator better? Is it more conducive to driving safety to use both feet? I believe many people have this idea, and in fact, some people really do it.

So why are the brakes and the throttle on the same side and controlled by one foot, instead of on both sides and controlled by two feet? This design is of course from the perspective of safety. As we all know, the brakes and throttle on a car are logically in conflict. Step on the accelerator to accelerate, and step on the brake to slow down. Therefore, they are an "either you or me" hostile relationship. When the car is driving normally, it is not allowed to move at the same time. The accelerator pedal must be released when the brake pedal is depressed, and the brake pedal must be released when the accelerator pedal is depressed. This kind of operation logic is controlled with one foot, which is more convenient and safer.

What happens when the brake pedal and accelerator pedal are controlled by two feet separately? Let's analyze the consequences of doing so. Everyone has this experience: in an emergency, our bodies will involuntarily shrink and become stiff, and the left and right sides of our bodies will do the same thing. This will lead to a very terrible phenomenon: stepping on the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal at the same time. So what happens when the brake and the accelerator are pressed at the same time?

There was a Toyota "brake door" accident. I don't know if you've heard of it, but it was 2009. Toyota cars sold in the United States often have the problem that the accelerator pedal is stuck on the carpet. When the throttle is stuck, the car can't stop even if the brakes are pressed to the end. There are too many traffic accidents, resulting in many deaths. After investigation, the US government confirmed that this was a design defect. Therefore, Toyota has suffered huge economic losses in the United States.

Why do the brakes and the accelerator press the car at the same time but don't stop? This is mainly because the current automobile braking system is basically vacuum-assisted, relying on the vacuum degree in the intake manifold to increase the force of the braking system. The greater the vacuum, the greater the braking force. So under what circumstances is the vacuum degree of the intake manifold the largest? That is, the throttle valve is completely closed at idle speed. On the contrary, if the accelerator pedal is fully depressed and the throttle valve is fully opened, the vacuum in the intake manifold is very small, which almost eliminates the pressurization effect on the brake system. You can try to brake when the engine is off. Is it difficult to step down?

In this case, the braking force of the car is also very small. Therefore, when the accelerator and brake of the car are depressed at the same time, on the one hand, the throttle valve is fully opened, making the engine output more power; On the other hand, due to the reduction of vacuum power, the braking system reduces the braking force, so the car cannot stop naturally.

Therefore, it is very undesirable to separate the brake and throttle of the car on both sides, which has great security risks; If you control with one foot, you won't step on the accelerator brake at the same time, and the safety will be greatly improved.

When driving, if our right foot is not on the accelerator pedal, we must put it on the brake pedal to keep it in an "either-or" state, so that we can stop directly in an emergency. Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal when slowing down or waiting for a red light, so it is easy to use the accelerator as a brake.

Of course, most cars are now equipped with a brake priority system, which allows the car to control the brake system and automatically turn off the throttle to idle when stepping on the brake and the throttle at the same time, thus improving the vacuum degree of the intake manifold and increasing the braking force.

Some models are equipped with electronic brake assist system, which can eliminate the vacuum in the engine intake manifold. In this case, if you step on the brakes and the accelerator at the same time, the car can brake. But even so, it is impossible to separate the brake from the throttle and control them with both feet. Because in this setting, the accelerator and the brake are usually pressed at the same time, similar to heel bending on the court. On the one hand, this operation is very dangerous, on the other hand, it will also increase the fuel consumption of the car.

Is there a car with both brakes and throttle on the left and right? In fact, there are also some construction machinery vehicles, such as forklifts and forklifts. These models usually run at a low speed, the cab is located in the center, and there is automatic neutral function when braking. One of the operations they often need is to operate the hydraulic system to load when the car is in a stopped state, and it is necessary to step on the accelerator to improve the engine power. In this case, it is more convenient to put the brake and throttle on both sides.

Some people will say, why should the brakes and throttle be installed on the right and controlled with the right foot? Can't you put it on the left and control it with your left foot? This question is a bit anti-human. Since its birth, cars have used their right feet to control the brakes and throttle. This design has been going on for 100 years. People are used to this operation, and it has no defects. If you want to change this habit, it is very difficult.