When I first drove a go-kart, I discovered that the brake pedal was on the left and the accelerator on the right. It struck me what excellent control this arrangement offered and I immediately started using this method in my automatic road car. I now have two cars, one an automatic and one a manual. I have never performed an emergency stop in my manual car whilst changing gear and in my opinion, driving an automatic, braking with the left foot is markedly safer, as not only is reaction time faster but the left foot can hover over the brake pedal in situations where danger is increased in, say, a 30 mph area or in fast moving traffic on a straight road. I have been doing this for years. None of my friends do it and until I read this article, I thought I was unique. I feel better now.