Speed of movement is only one of several critical variables in the design of foot controls, and it should not be used in isolation to dictate automobile design recommendations. Although studies have shown that movement times between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal are somewhat faster when both pedals are in the same plane, more inclusive human factors analyses reveal that there are several important reasons to locate the brake pedal above the accelerator pedal.
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Casey et al. (1987) studied this question.
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