Is it illegal to drive with both feet at the same time?

In short, no, there's no legislation preventing you from driving with both feet at the same time.

​There can be times when it is beneficial to use both feet on one pedal, like the panic-braking trying to avoid a crash. In a similar vein, drivers of manual cars will use both feet when balancing the clutch and accelerator, as it would be impossible even for Michael 'Lord of the Dance' Flatley to operate the accelerator and clutch pedals using only one foot.

However, for this article we’ll take 'driving with both feet' to mean using both feet simultaneously on both accelerator and brake. 

While it is not formally illegal as per the laws of the states and territories of Australia to drive with both feet at the same time, you are making life far more difficult for yourself.

Now we need to take a minute out to tell all you boy racers out there to settle down. Heel-and-toe or left-foot braking techniques are of no use on public roads, and will only serve to confuse inexperienced drivers, or drivers unfamiliar with the car they’re piloting. 

The heel-and-toe technique relies on applying the brake pedal with your toes of your right foot and blipping the accelerator with your right heel to rev-match the engine to the gearbox as you downshift into a corner, while depressing the clutch with your left foot.

The heel-toe manoeuvre was popular in racing circles back in the day, when non-synchromesh transmissions needed to be spun to precisely the right engine RPM for lightning-fast racing shifts. These days it is largely irrelevant.

There may be times where you need to use both feet to operate the controls in an emergency or during an unforeseen circumstance, and this is one reason why our various state and territory road rules don’t make it illegal to use both feet while driving – just in case you come across such a situation.

We haven’t found any stipulations from insurance companies excluding cover, however if an investigation finds your driving using both feet is a leading contributory cause of the crash then you could be fined by police for negligent or dangerous driving. For insurance purposes it is always best to double-check the exclusions listed in your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

This article is not intended as legal advice. You should check with your local road authority to verify the information written here is suitable to your situation before driving in this manner.