The gas pedal is the rightmost pedal in every car, positioned near the floor on the driver’s side. This is true whether you drive an automatic, a manual, or a right-hand-drive vehicle in countries like the UK or Japan. The accelerator is always on the far right, and you always operate it with your right foot.
Pedal Layout in Automatic Cars
An automatic car has two pedals. The brake is on the left, and the gas (accelerator) is on the right. You control both with your right foot, pivoting between them. Your left foot stays on the footrest, sometimes called the dead pedal, and doesn’t touch either pedal during normal driving.
Pedal Layout in Manual Cars
A manual (stick shift) car has three pedals. From left to right, they are: clutch, brake, gas. Your left foot operates the clutch, and your right foot handles both the brake and the gas, just like in an automatic. The gas pedal stays in the same far-right position regardless of how many pedals the car has.
Right-Hand-Drive Cars Keep the Same Order
If you’ve ever wondered whether the pedals flip in countries where the steering wheel is on the right side, they don’t. The gas pedal is still on the far right, the brake is still next to it on the left, and a manual clutch is still on the far left. The shift pattern doesn’t change either. This means a driver switching between left-hand-drive and right-hand-drive cars doesn’t need to relearn foot positions.
How to Tell the Pedals Apart by Feel
The gas pedal is noticeably narrower than the brake pedal. Accelerator pedals typically range from about 1.25 to 3.5 inches wide, while brake pedals are wider, often 4 inches or more. The brake is designed to be a bigger target so your foot can find it quickly in an emergency. In most cars, the two pedals sit at roughly the same height when neither is pressed, though some designs place the accelerator slightly higher relative to the floor.
Gas pedals also come in two physical styles. Some are hinged at the bottom and pivot from the floor upward. Others hang from above, swinging forward when you press them. Floor-mounted pedals are common in performance-oriented cars from brands like Porsche, BMW, and Ferrari, as well as some Volkswagen and Honda models. Suspended (hanging) pedals are more common in everyday vehicles, including many Ford and Mazda models. Both types work the same way and sit in the same position on the right.
Proper Foot Placement
The recommended technique is to rest your right heel on the floor roughly between the gas and brake pedals. From there, you pivot or lean your foot to the right to press the accelerator, and pivot left to press the brake. The ball of your foot should make contact with whichever pedal you’re using. This heel-pivot method keeps transitions smooth and reduces the chance of hitting the wrong pedal.
Using your left foot to brake in an automatic is a common temptation, but it creates problems. Most people have less fine control with their left foot on the brake, which can lead to jerky stops or, worse, pressing both pedals at the same time.
Floor Mat Safety Around the Gas Pedal
One real hazard to be aware of: floor mats can interfere with the gas pedal. A mat that shifts out of place or stacks on top of another mat can trap the accelerator in a pressed position, causing unintended acceleration. This exact problem led to a massive recall of nearly eight million Toyota vehicles in the U.S. after NHTSA identified floor mat entrapment and sticking accelerator pedals as the causes of dangerous acceleration incidents.
To avoid this, make sure your driver-side floor mat is secured with the retention clips your car came with. Never layer one mat on top of another, and check periodically that the mat hasn’t slid forward toward the pedals. If your gas pedal ever feels like it’s sticking or not returning to its resting position, pull over safely and check for obstructions before continuing to drive.