Drive with left foot - Foot Problems Message Board

cinderella777 · 07-10-2003, 03:19 PM

sorry I have so many posts I keep thinking of questions. This is my last.
Any of you drive with your left foot if you had surgery on your right? If I do that there is no impact on my right foot correct? And I should be ok? I have been practicing and the drive is not long, no freeways...and I do really well. Waht do you think?

thelittleprincess · 07-11-2003, 10:57 AM

cinderella,

i know some people learned to drive using their left foot - but i was too chicken. i gotta use the freeways in san diego - using my right foot was also out of the question. my doctor estimated that i'd be back on the road around week6 - that's next week!!! i was chicken b/c i'm afraid of other dumba$$ drivers out there - i'd be worried in seattle b/c cause of the wet roads. i think it's worse in sd b/c when we get rain, the roads have oil slicks. so more of a chance that a duba$$ won't slow down and may lose control - and if i were driving w/ my left foot, i might not be able to react as well in terms of timing and slamming/pumping the brakes . hope i'm not scaring you. but i tend to be a worry wart and rather go the "safe" route - so i've had "chauffers." my friends and family have been wonderful. i didn't ask fo rmuch when my left foot was done- but with my right foot i need them to drive me to work, to dr appts, and to get food. my point - even if i thought i could drive safely/well with my left foot, i don't trust other drivers out there on the road.

paininthefoot · 07-11-2003, 11:11 AM

Cinderella,
I did drive with my left foot after 4 weeks. I still had a cast and it was very awkward. I could not drive with the boot when I got it after 6 weeks so continued to drive with my left foot until I got into tennis shoes 71/2 weeks. I practiced in a parking lot and felt comfortable after awhile. I never drove the freeways and was very cautious. I felt so wonderful being able to drive myself. Now I'm recovering from my left foot (1 week). Good Luck.

cjaffee · 07-11-2003, 08:54 PM

I've been in a cast on my right foot and with the cast on it was almost impossible to fit my left foot on the pedal with the cast in the way. Maybe it was just my car. But someone told me they could temporarily put an accelerator control for your hand so you don't have to use a foot for the gas at all. I'm going to look into it since I'm going to have some surgery on my right foot as well.

tchair · 07-11-2003, 11:19 PM

If you're talking any time soon after surgery and there is any chance that pain will be an issue, then the answer is no. You can become totally occupied with that rather than your safety our those innocents around you. Even a moderate amount of distraction can be risky if you are driving with one foot in a cast and the other doing something new. I can tell you from experience that you cannot rest one painfull foot while driving with the other. Try this test. Sit as though you are driving. Lift your right foot as if you were taking the pressure off of it, now lift your left to go from the gas to brake. And you can't steer properly while supporting yourself with your arms. And durring all of this what if a another driver or a pedestrian makes an error in front of you?
I had foot surgery, found that although you might not be 'using' your foot your leg muscles are active and can make it very uncomfortable. Also stop and go traffic was actually much worse than highway driving.