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[mantahatch]

Only a couple of weeks ago I pulled a 206 off a low wall at the top of the owner's drive. The drive was steep, and she was turning hard right to park on top of the garage(well it IS hilly round here!)
 Got the usual explanation - "I don't know what happened, I've been parking here for over 30 years" or accurately - "I was confused which pedal does what, and hit the throttle instead of the brake"

I've seen enough of these; straight down the drive across the road(miraculously missing the traffic) down the neighbour's drive and park carelessly in their conservatory; to change my mind about my mother having an auto - I know I'd be rescuing her from a similar crash. At least a manual will stall in such a situation

Well done to philrich for helping.

Nick W, I too have witnessed this and allways thought it was those people who came to autos late in life anyway, to "prolong" their driving career.
Been driving my own auto since the age of 25 and I have never got my pedals enen remotly wrong. (46 now)

Just wondering if anyone else thought similar ?

[Andy B]

.....
Been driving my own auto since the age of 25 and I have never got my pedals enen remotly wrong. (46 now)

Just wondering if anyone else thought similar ?

I too have been driving auto's for years, and in recent years I've been driving both on a regular basis. I have a habit of using two feet for the autos and recently started to left foot brake when in my manual Astra, trouble was I had started to brake using the clutch pedal. For that split moment I couldn't understand why the car in front was getting very close very quickly & the 'brake' wasn't doing anything.
My excuse was that it was early in the morning 

[Rods2]

It not only old people that have mishaps with automatics. When I was young, many years ago, the landlord of my local pub had a V12 Jag. He had been to another pub as part of the darts team. Upon his return he stopped in the car park behind a waiting taxi and went to open his garage door, as he started to return to his car he saw it was creeping forward towards the taxi and about to hit the back of it, he ran, put his left foot in the car to hit the brake pedal!!! All I can say is flooring the throttle on a V12 does an awful lot of damage. 

[Broomies Mate]

I reckon they (the elderly) tend to favour the Auto's because they get through a clutch every couple of months.  The amount of times I see an ancient fella (or chick) trying to park something like a Peugeot 100000000007 (or whatever it's called) on the rev limiter moving half inch forward, then WALLOP into reverse, another 7k revs and half inch back etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.  You get my point.

Anyway, drop the clutch in a manual, and if you dont take your foot off the 'gas', it'll do the same as an Auto.  Dont know many cars which will stall if you release the clutch at full revs.  :-/

[Nick W]

.....
Been driving my own auto since the age of 25 and I have never got my pedals enen remotly wrong. (46 now)

Just wondering if anyone else thought similar ?

I too have been driving auto's for years, and in recent years I've been driving both on a regular basis. I have a habit of using two feet for the autos and recently started to left foot brake when in my manual Astra, trouble was I had started to brake using the clutch pedal. For that split moment I couldn't understand why the car in front was getting very close very quickly & the 'brake' wasn't doing anything.
My excuse was that it was early in the morning 

both of my current cars are autos, and besides on and off the truck, I haven't driven a manual car in months. When I do, it's not braking that causes me problems, but stalling when I come to a stop. Then wondering what's wrong with the bloody thing until realisation sets in that perhaps a foot on the clutch might be a good idea?

[Ian_D]

Since owning the Omega, the only time I 'forgot' something was when I went to move my dads Astra off the drive.

It is always left in 1st gear (drive uphill).. Anyway, I jumped in, right foot on brake, and turned the key... for a split second I thought the battery had gone flat (was on its last legs anyway).

So rather than jump starting it I thought 'ah I will shove it in reverse and bump it off’

Of course, when I pressed the clutch in, the car moved slightly… then the penny dropped... I just tried starting it, while in gear, with foot on brake, and nothing on clutch! 

My excuse was I was half asleep still! 

[Auto Addict]

I reckon they (the elderly) tend to favour the Auto's because they get through a clutch every couple of months.  The amount of times I see an ancient fella (or chick) trying to park something like a Peugeot 100000000007 (or whatever it's called) on the rev limiter moving half inch forward, then WALLOP into reverse, another 7k revs and half inch back etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.  You get my point.

Anyway, drop the clutch in a manual, and if you dont take your foot off the 'gas', it'll do the same as an Auto.  Dont know many cars which will stall if you release the clutch at full revs.  :-/

I am amazed by how many, young and old drive with their left foot resting on the clutch pedal.

Don't the instucters teach them anything when learning to drive.

[aaronjb]

I reckon they (the elderly) tend to favour the Auto's because they get through a clutch every couple of months.  The amount of times I see an ancient fella (or chick) trying to park something like a Peugeot 100000000007 (or whatever it's called) on the rev limiter moving half inch forward, then WALLOP into reverse, another 7k revs and half inch back etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.  You get my point.

Anyway, drop the clutch in a manual, and if you dont take your foot off the 'gas', it'll do the same as an Auto.  Dont know many cars which will stall if you release the clutch at full revs.  :-/

I am amazed by how many, young and old drive with their left foot resting on the clutch pedal.

Don't the instucters teach them anything when learning to drive.

People get taught to drive?  I just assumed everyone got their license free with four tokens off the back of a cornflakes packet these days.. it's the only thing to explain driving standards..

[PhilRich]

I reckon they (the elderly) tend to favour the Auto's because they get through a clutch every couple of months.  The amount of times I see an ancient fella (or chick) trying to park something like a Peugeot 100000000007 (or whatever it's called) on the rev limiter moving half inch forward, then WALLOP into reverse, another 7k revs and half inch back etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.  You get my point.

Anyway, drop the clutch in a manual, and if you dont take your foot off the 'gas', it'll do the same as an Auto.  Dont know many cars which will stall if you release the clutch at full revs.  :-/

I am amazed by how many, young and old drive with their left foot resting on the clutch pedal.

Don't the instucters teach them anything when learning to drive.

People get taught to drive?  I just assumed everyone got their license free with four tokens off the back of a Macdonalds Happy Meal box these days.. it's the only thing to explain driving standards..

Fixed that for you mate 

[aaronjb]

  Sorry, I'm not down with what the kids eat these days..